Alfa Romeo 4C News

Twelve months after the hardtop 4C made its first appearance in production form, Alfa Romeo has taken the wraps off a new soft-top Spider version of its carbon-fibre sports car.The Spider replaces the existing hardtop’s carbon fixed roof with a removable soft panel, fixed carbon roll hoop, and the glass engine cover is replaced by a sculpted carbon decklid.The body has been shaped to maintain the same downforce capabilities of the hardtop, while minimising cabin turbulence with the roof open. Alfa claims that the Spider’s dry weight is still within 1000kg, compared with the hardtop’s 895kg dry figure.Aside from the open roof, the Spider also scores much improved ‘Clamshell’ headlights, eight-spoke 18 and 19 inch staggered alloy wheels and twinned central exhausts to replace the hardtop’s dual corner exits. This exhaust is a dual-stage carbon and titanium unit designed by  Akrapovic – a brand well known in motorcycle racing circles.The suspension has been tweaked to suit the Spider’s slightly altered weight distribution, but is otherwise mechanically identical to the 4C hardtop, with a mid-mounted 177kW/350Nm 1.7-litre petrol turbo and Alfa’s six-speed TCT dual-clutch auto driving the rear wheels.The 4C Spider is scheduled to appear in European showrooms in early 2015, but Alfa is yet to confirm the likely limited production run. Only 4500 hardtops are being built, and Spider numbers are only likely to be a fraction of this figure.It’s unclear at this stage if any 4C Spiders will make their way to Australia, but with the Australia-Pacific region allocated about 10 percent of the hardtop’s production limit, you’ll want to make good friends with your local Alfa dealer.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn Watch the desktop version of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider trailer video here.  

We're still waiting for the Alfa Romeo 4C to hit Australian showrooms, with overseas demand for the beautiful sports coupe meaning delivery down under will be delayed for a while. And now it seems like we'll be left hankering after another variant of the Alfa halo car, with an open-top Spider said to be heading for a global unveiling at Geneva motor show next week -- three years after the 4C concept was first shown there.Reports suggest the 4C Spider won't have a folding convertible roof but a removable panel -- there's no suggestion yet about whether there will be onboard storage for the roof section once you unlatch it, but it may be a fold-and-stow design.The Italian carmaker has previously said taking the top off the 4C would be comparatively easy, given the torsional stiffness gained from the car's largely carbon-fibre chassis. However Alfa Romeo development chief Guglielmo Caviasso has signalled that the car would target a light weight, meaning a mechanised folding roof is off the table.There's talk of the headlight design of the coupe being dumped for styling that reverts more to that of the original concept, while a fresh alloy wheel wardrobe is also on the cards.However the 4C Spider is likely to be powered by the coupe's mid-mounted 1.7-litre turbo four-cylinder, with two levels of tune -- a 176kW/350Nm version and a Launch Edition with the horses geed up to 179kW -- matched to a dual-clutch automatic.The big question for Australia will be supply. Alfa is producing only 4500 of the 4C coupe in its first year -- of which 1000 will be Launch Edition models -- and the local HQ has previously said the Australia-Pacific region would get around 10 per cent of that, but how many of those are allocated for our shores is yet to be revealed. The cars were scheduled to arrive in the second quarter of this year, but in 2013 Alfa Romeo Australia put a hold on orders until the final quota is known -- and with more than 100 expressions of interest in hand.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

The New York motor show in April will see the announcement of which vehicle has won the 2014 World COTY, and there looks to be a tough -- and very varied -- field of finalists.Last year's winner was the Volkswagen Golf, which also took awards in pretty well every country on the globe. But this year it could be anything from the little electric BMW i3 to the offroading Jeep Cherokee and even the Citroen C4 peoplemover, judging by the shortlist.A panel of 69 motoring experts from around the world -- including Carsguide's Paul Gover and National Motoring Editor Joshua Dowling -- will choose the winner from: Audi A3, BMW 4 Series, BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Ford Fusion/Mondeo, Infiniti Q50, Jeep Cherokee, Lexus IS, Mazda3, Peugeot 308 and Skoda Octavia.The 10 finalists for the 2014 World Luxury Car are the Bentley Flying Spur, BMW X5, Cadillac ELR, Cadillac Escalade, Maserati Ghibli, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Porsche Macan, Range Rover Sport and Rolls-Royce Wraith.Due to a tie, there are 11 finalists for the 2014 World Performance Car: Alfa Romeo 4C, Audi RS 6 Avant, BMW M6 Gran Coupe, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Ferrari 458 Speciale, Ford Fiesta ST, Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster, Mercedes-Benz A/CLA45 AMG, Porsche 911 GT3, Porsche 911 Turbo and Volkswagen Golf GTI.A separate panel of five 'green' experts will choose the 2014 World Green Car from Audi A3 Sportback e-tron (+ Audi e-gas), BMW i3, Honda Accord Hybrid, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Volkswagen XL1.Similarly, a panel of five design experts will decide on the 2014 World Car Design of the Year, from among: BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Mazda3, Lexus IS, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Volkswagen XL1.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

The next season of Top Gear is just around the high-speed corner, and the hit car show has released an extended trailer to give us a taste of the action.It shows you can expect to see the stunning Alfa Romeo 4C facing off in one of the signature mismatch races, the completely insane six-wheeled Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6, the McLaren P1 supercar and a tank. For starters.Then there's a trek through Thailand and Burma with some luridly decorated trucks, plus there is tipped to be a segment featuring Australia's V8 Supercars. Garnish with some stars in a reasonably priced car, hot lap times from The Stig, and it looks like another recipe for vehicular viewing success.Watch the extended trailer to Top Gear season 21 on our desktop site. 

There are exciting new releases planned across the board; from budget hatches to practical SUVs, to exotic supercars. We’ve broken them down into segments and likely price categories to help you. We've based our price estimations on the current market, but some estimations could change in the future, and some model ranges span across price categories, so be sure to check our other stories...New cars for 2014 | less than $20,000New cars for 2014 | $20,000-$40,000New cars for 2014 | $40,000-$59,000New cars for 2014 | over $100,000 LIGHT CARSBMW i3: BMW will bring the high tech i3 city car down under from September, with the pure-electric i3 BEV expected to start at about $60,000, and a range-extended i3 REX version with a 647cc petrol generator further up the price scale. (Approximately $60,000)SMALL CARSAudi A3 sedan: Audi will add a sedan version of its A3 small car to the existing Sportback hatch lineup from January, with the hot S3 version to follow in April, and the drop-top A3 Cabriolet (from about $57k) to complete the lineup in about September. (Approximately $65,000)BMW 2 Series: The discontinued 1 Series coupe will be replaced by the new 2 Series coupe in around May, and will likely mirror the petrol and diesel drivetrains of the existing 1 Series hatch. A soft-top convertible is also in the works, but its launch date is still up in the air. (Approximately $45,000-$85,000)FAMILY CARSInfiniti Q50: Infiniti models are set to become a more common sight on Australian roads before June, with the Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3 Series-rivalling Q50’s arrival, boasting fresh styling, rear-wheel drive, and a choice of diesel or hybrid drivetrains. (Approximately $51,900-$73,900)Mercedes-Benz C-Class: Mercedes' new C-Class sedan and wagon are due around mid-year, with a range of new engines and an 80mm wheelbase stretch to help combat the also enlarged BMW 3 Series and Lexus IS rivals. Drivetrain availability from launch will include the 115kW/250Nm 1.6-litre C180 and 135kW/300Nm 2.0-litre C200 petrols, and the 125kW/400Nm 2.1-litre turbodiesel C220. A smaller diesel, diesel-electric hybrid and more powerful petrol engines will come later. (Approximately from $60,000)Tesla Model S: The long-awaited Tesla Model S pure-electric passenger car is due to arrive locally in the second quarter, with the five door hatch balancing style, performance, and all-electric tech in equal measures. (Approximately $80,000)Volvo S60 and V60: Volvo will introduce the first of its new Drive-E engines to the S60 sedan and V60 wagon range in March, with power and efficiency gains promised, along with a new eight-speed auto. (Approximately $49,000-$78,000)LUXURY CARSLexus RC: Lexus’ new RC coupe should arrive before the end of 2014 to take on the BMW 4 Series and Audi A5, with a choice of petrol V6 and hybrid drivetrains likely to expand to include a high-performance 5.0-litre V8 RC-F soon after. (Approximately $70,000-$130,000)SUV/4WDAudi RS Q3: The company’s first RS-badged SUV will arrive in February, with the RS Q3 borrowing its 228kW/420Nm five-cylinder heart from the TTRS, and promising 0-100km/h in 5.5 seconds. (Approximately $81,900)BMW X1: The baby bimmer SUV is also in line for a refreshing in March, with styling and interior tweaks expected. (Approximately 46,000-63,000)BMW X5 sDrive 25d: BMW will add the first two-wheel drive X5 to the new 2014 lineup early in the year, with a price-leading $82,900 2.0-litre turbodiesel sDrive 25d undercutting the existing all-wheel drive xDrive 25d by $5000. (Approximately $82,900)Ford Territory: The Territory SUV will score SYNC-inclusive revisions by the end of the year, ahead of its 2016 fate. (Approximately $40,000-$63,000)Land Rover Range Rover Evoque: The stylish Range Rover Evoque is due for an update before June, with a new nine-speed auto delivering fuel economy gains of about 10 per cent, plus styling tweaks to bring it in line with the new full-size Range Rover and Sport models. (Approximately $50,000-$91,000)Porsche Macan: Porsche will add the new sub-Cayenne Macan SUV to its Australian lineup from June, with the cheapest diesel model forming a new entry point to Porsche ownership at $84,900. Twin-turbo 3.0 and 3.6-litre V6s will sit further up the price scale, with the 294kW top-spec capable of 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds. (Approximately $84,900-$122,900)Volvo XC60: Volvo’s new Drive-E engines will also appear in the XC60 SUV in March, with power and efficiency gains promised, along with a new eight-speed auto. (Approximately $57,000-79,000)SPORTS/PERFORMANCEAlfa Romeo 4C: Alfa will bring a limited number of its limited-build 4C sports car to Australia in around June, with the mid-engined, carbon-chassised performance hero expected to lob for as little as $75,000.Peugeot RCZ-R: Building on the brand’s reignited performance cred thanks to the excellent 208 GTi, the French brand will also add the hot RCZ-R to the lineup in the second quarter, with a highly tuned 199kW version of the existing petrol version’s 1.6-litre turbo. (Approximately $70,000)CONVERTIBLESBMW 4 Series convertible: The folding hardtop version of BMW’s 4-Series coupe is expected by March, and echo its hardtop sibling with 420d, 428i, and 435i drivetrains. (Approximately $85,000-$120,000)  

Alfa Romeo's 4C sports car has broken the Nurburgring record for the fastest lap by a production car with less than 250hp (187kW), completing the circuit in 8 minutes and 4 secondsPowered by a mid-mounted, highly-tuned turbocharged new-generation 1.75-litre engine -- developing 176kW and 350Nm -- the 4C undertook the challenge with Nurburgring veteran Horst von Saurma at the helm and jockeying the six-speed dual-clutch gearbox.Helping with the job was the two-seater's bantam 950kg weight, the result of liberal use of carbon fibre -- including a McLaren 12C-like passenger cell made from the material -- but with no modifications except being fitted with a set of high-performance Pirelli Zero Trofeo tyres.The rear-wheel drive hero is scheduled to arrive in Australia mid-2014, with prices likely to start around $80,000 -- depending on exchange rates. However there are still concerns it could be delayed as demand in overseas markets is putting pressure on supply.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott  

Carsguide believes the roadster version of the mid-engined two-seater will likely debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show

Alfa has announced there will be 1000 “launch edition” models and 3500 production vehicles of the exotic 4C sports coupe in the first year. Australian spokeswoman Karla Leach says Australia-Pacific will get around 10 per cent of that allocation. Just how many of the estimated 100 and 350 vehicles respectively are destined for Australia is still to be decided.Both versions will arrive in Australia in the second quarter of next year and Alfa Australia already holds 100 serious expressions of interest. “Until we know the allocation we’ve put a hold on pre-orders,” Leach explained.Final pricing has not been confirmed yet, but Australian cars are expected to cost $80,000-$90,000 for the regular vehicle and $100,000-$120,000 for the launch edition.The two-seater 4C is based around a carbon-fibre chassis to keep weight down to a svelte 895kg (dry). The 1.7-litre turbo petrol engine is good for 177kW/350Nm and power is transferred to the rear wheels via a dual-clutch auto.The launch version adds a carbon fibre spoiler and mirror covers, rear alloy diffuser, 18-inch front and 19-inch rear alloys finished in a burnished look, brake callipers in the buyer’s choice of four colours, a race exhaust, BMC air cleaner and a suspension kit with harder shock absorbers and rear anti-roll bar.Watch the video here.  

Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Ferrari are all part of the Fiat automotive group, which helps explain why the 4C coupe is built by Maserati in Modena, Italy. Ferrari's Fiorano test circuit is just around the corner, so it makes sense for Alfa to show off the 4C's track ability at the hallowed track. The 4C is set to arrive in Australia in early 2014. The lightweight, mid-engined sports coupe packs a 179kW/350Nm 1.75 litre turbocharged engine with a six-speed dual clutch transmission.With a carbon-fibre and aluminium monocoque helping keep weight down to 950kg, its capable of 0-100km/h acceleration in 4.5 seconds and an impressive Euro-cycle combined fuel figure of 5.7l/100km.  Watch the video here. 

The Alfa Romeo 4C's design blends contemporary details with clear reference to the classic Alfa 33 Stradale. Enjoy a closer look at the 4C's sensuous curves in this studio film.     The 4C is set to arrive in Australia in early 2014. The lightweight, mid-engined sports coupe packs a 179kW/350Nm 1.75 litre turbocharged engine with a six-speed dual clutch transmission.With a carbon-fibre and aluminium monocoque helping keep weight down to 950kg, its capable of 0-100km/h acceleration in 4.5 seconds and an impressive Euro-cycle combined fuel figure of 5.7l/100km.  Watch the video here.