Spring is officially here, so let’s drive into springtime with something speeding away from winter. How about springtime in Italy, with the 2019 Alfa
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Spring is officially here, so let’s drive into springtime with something speeding away from winter. How about springtime in Italy, with the 2019 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider convertible, assembled in Modena, Italy? The two-seater lives up to Alfa’s heritage, which began in Milan, Italy in 1910 … and it was the 4C that returned Alfa to the U.S. market in 2014, after a 20-year hiatus.
Building on Alfa’s storied racing heritage, and its history of creating exciting, solid-handling, exotic, athletic vehicles, the 2019 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider offers driving enthusiasts a mid-engine design and represents the essential sportiness embedded in the brand’s DNA. Handcrafted in Modena, Italy, the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider offers seductive Italian styling and a state-of-the-art Formula 1-inspired carbon fiber monocoque and aluminum chassis that enables an impressive .95 hp to 10 lbs. power-to-weight ratio.
For 2019, Alfa has deleted the Spider hardtop coupe from the lineup, leaving only the convertible (with cloth targa top), and why not? Driving on a warm spring day, with the top down gets rid of the winter blahs in a heartbeat. New for this year, the 4C Spider complies with American federal regs with a rear backup camera, and Alfa has added standard rear parking sensors and cruise control. Additionally new stand-alone options include a race-tuned suspension; leather- and microfiber-wrapped steering wheel; and carbon fiber or Italian flag door-mirror caps.
The mid-engine rear-wheel-drive convertible is sport-sized with an overall length of 157 inches, width of 73.5 inches and height of 46.7 inches, on a 93.7-inch wheelbase, with a ground clearance 4.4 and a light curb weight of 2487 lbs. And its looks … well, it is Alfa, with hints of Lotus and Ferrari -- exotic, Euro-curved, angular and sculpted, with aggressive body creases. This is a sportscar, and when you drive it on the road, around town, or at the track, the gazes, nods and thumbs up from spectators are what feel-good cars are all about. Well, that and the performance.
The 4C Spider is powered by an all-aluminum direct injection 1750 (1,742 cc) inline-4 turbo engine that delivers 237hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. The all-aluminum plant is direct-injected with dual intercoolers and variable-valve timing, and is EPA rated at 24mpg in the city and 34mpg on the highway, for an average of 28mpg. My short week of mixed-use fun driving, with lots of tire-smoking and quick turns, yielded an average of 24.4mpg, but you should do better than that with more conservative driving … but why would you want to limit your fun? The one item that limited MY fun was that there are no manual transmissions available. Lack of customer demand prompted Alfa Romeo to only outfit the 4C Spider with a very precise and solid ALFA TCT (twin-clutch transmission). The setup is reliable and synched well, but not as much fun as a manual gearbox in a convertible sportscar.
The manufacturer says the 4C Spider will complete a zero to 60mph sprint in 4.1 seconds. I managed a 4.2 on a dusty track, with a hand-timed 12.8 quarter completed, but both times seemed much faster behind the wheel of this saucy convertible. On the interstate and even around town, with the top down, the engine growls, the wind whips, the 4C Spider deftly handles quick maneuvers and seems at one with its surroundings.
Athletic on the road and at the track … my 4C Spider responded and handled like an autocross star, and its response and handling live up to the Alfa track legacy, but the suspension is also track-oriented … with good road feel for the driver but invasive and susceptible to uneven spring roads around town. It is a rough ride for those not understanding road feel, and the tight steering is not exactly power steering, and if you are not in a sportscar frame of mind, it makes for a chore in tight maneuvering.
The cockpit is minimalistic – traditional sportscarlike. Short on infotainment, but cozy and meant for drivers, there is seating for two. Headroom is 38.0 inches with the top in place and endless when the convertible top is down; legroom is 42.7 inches and shoulder room is 49.8. Rear sightlines are tough, and the throaty engine and road noise are obvious with the top down and also harsh with the top in place. All are acceptable in a sportscar frame of mind, and less so in a touring mode.
From a safety perspective, the 2019 Alfa 4C Spider hits on all cylinders. The convertible is outfitted with advanced multistage front airbags, driver’s knee air bag, door-mounted side thorax air bags, energy-absorbing steering column, interior head-impact protection, passenger knee bolsters, 4-wheel anti-lock brake disc system, all-speed traction control system, electronic stability control, electronic launch control system, and more.
The 2019 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider starts at $66,900 plus a $1595 Destination charge. My test ride was bathed in a very energetic Giallo (Yellow) Protopo exterior paint, matched to a black and yellow interior for an additional $1500. My ride had upgraded 10-spoke silver wheels for $1800 and came with 205/40R18 and 235/35R19 3-season tires. Yellow brake calipers were an unnecessary cosmetic, but, OK, we got them for $450. An Alpine Premium Audio system, with subwoofer added $950, but the cabin is road and engine noisy (a good noise though), so I would suggest that you stay with the basic sound system and save the cash. The sticker-as-tested came to $73,195.
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Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years. </I>