The Alfa Romeo 4C: adding lightness the Alfa way

An event held by the Lopresto Collection always exceeds your own expectations. As a matter of fact, aside from the stunning cars of the Collection, there was an entire grid of brand new Alfa Romeo and Abarth cars for the participants to drive. Imagine being handed over the keys to the 4c with no restrictions to driving on the track. What a joy! Despite the numerous drivers at the event, I mostly had a free fire zone in front of me, so I could make the tires scream in protest and not hurt anybody else.
The fog and the wet track were not to a restraining factor to test those machines properly so I got a chance to drive like a hoonigan and not to pay the legal consequences (car wrecks not included).
The 4C in real life steals the show like no other. On the grid, it was the second lowest car after a tiny Lotus 23. Its sleek white body looks much better in reality than in photographs. It has its own presence, and it does not compare to any other car on the road. The car has such harmonious volumes and it promises a great fun. To me plays the "serious driver's car package" role.

Lotus Elise be warned! The 4C spartan finishing, you can even touch the carbon fiber frame and it has minimal seats. But it definitely has lots of character, and that's what Italians want!

The model I tested was a "Launch Edition", so it had the controversial carbon headlights that nobody has ever liked. As I saw the car moving and appearing out of the fog with the lights on, it made a perfect sense to me and felt it had a unique touch. I also recognize I would probably be the very first to say this. Enough with this pornographic automotive sightseeing, let's get in and head out for a drive.

Getting into a car like this is a challenge per se. The light, composite door opens and to reach the low seat (you're sitting right on the floor) I have to fight my way in between the steering wheel and the thick layers of carbon fiber that compose the chassis. Once I let my body slide in the cocooned seat, I have a look around and everything seems to be a stylish spartan design that has written "performance" all over it. The steering wheel is thick and unassisted, and the pedals are properly angled and feel grat. No fancy huge brake pedal here, just proper racing stuff. The seat has no height adjustment, as it only slides back and forward, and it is ultra thin. What's surprising is that it wasn't that uncomfortable as many journalists pointed out before. It is a lightweight shell that supports the driver's body very well. Also there is no storage space in the back, just a plain black light panel divides me from the engine compartment. When you rev the engine, the whole cockpit resonates beautifully.

 I am also impressed by the visibility I have in front of me. Certainly it is not the best visibility on the market, but in sports car terms, they are exceptional. As I turn on the key, a typical 4 cylinder rumble erupts behind the black panel behind my shoulder, awaiting my command. It is not a beastly sound, but a nice straight 4 rumble tells you the car is ready. So, off we go, 1st gear in and we ease off to the track.

I decide to familiarize with the 4c and leave it in Normal mode on the DNA switch for a whole lap. Driving this car is for me a relief from modern cars. In many ways, it seems that I have a car that behaves like an analogical model from the late 80ies. It's all about the chassis, the engine and the handling. It's essential, and the unassisted steering wheel helps me figure out exactly what the car is doing. Opposite to common belief, it doesn't drain all of your stamina in seconds. It's heavy but not impossible to steer. Driving the car in Normal mode, the ride is not too harsh, and you can still feel the properly balanced chassis. Transmission is not super quick, but it's smooth and acts precisely as we go down the road. I complete the lap of the twisty Castelletto di Branduzzo circuit, and I decide to increase the pace and try to reach the car limits. Power delivery is smooth and consistent through the rev range, and the 237 hp of the 1750cc turbo definitely feel like more and they are easily manageable. Flooring the throttle pedal in such a car is a joy and puts a smile on your face: the acceleration squeezes you in the seats and there is little jaw of the nose in the air. Traction is superb even on a wet surface and the car allows to play a bit with its natural oversteer. Such an exhilarating package! The sound is fantastic: the turbine hisses in anger and the tiny interior resonate with the loud intake noise. Simply orgasmic. The chassis is very well balanced and the car is neutral during cornering and allows you to drive precisely and take advantage of the great balanced chassis. In a track like Castelletto di Branduzzo with tight corners, the car transfers its weight smoothly and you never feel like being thrown around. 

The car feels very tight and there's a lot of communication between front and rear suspension. 

Braking power is really good and allows for proper modulation and do not seem to fade away after many laps. They are precise and do not bite violently after you lightly touch them. The feel is superb and inspires confidence right away.

Gear shifts are handled smoothly and the transmission responds quickly to the inputs on the paddles. On the DNA, different settings do not lead to a drastic change in the car's behavior. The only difference I noticed in Dynamic mode is a more aggressive power delivery.

the 4C has a high mounted engine in a very stiff chassis: this accentuates the natural tendency to oversteer when you exit the corner.  A bit too much throttle can make the tail snap out of your control, but with some experience on your back and a few laps in the car, you can predict it and control it easily as it would return into its place easily.
In the end, it does not bother me: you could use the throttle to come out a corner and have plenty of fun by swinging its tail.
The car is not too nervous and allows you to explore its limits without taking too many risks. The unassisted steering wheel is the icing on the cake that will make any driving enthusiast smile: so connected, you feel the road like in a proper sports car. Just what we driving junkies like. 

The 4C is a car that stands on its own. Despite being designed a sports car made to be competing against the Lotus Elise and the Porsche Cayman, it's a properly balanced product: not as spartan as the Elise, but not as practical as a Porsche Cayman. The 4C has a seductive interior with an unassisted steering rack, a carbon frame which you see trough the interior, yet the thin seats are made of leather, and the voluptuous shape of the exterior adds to the elegance and sportiness of this car. In my opinion, it feels at home on the racetrack but its elegance won't look too bad in the gardens of Villa d'Este.

It feels like a track day car but is not as extreme. Yes, it has a tiny boot, and poor rear visibility, but has air con, good front visibility and is not too big. I felt special driving it, as I got all eyes on me.
Everyone was looking at it when it was moving through the pit lane, everyone waited their turn to take the test drive and I've never seen so many eyes gazing at the bright white composite bodywork. It was the star of the show and it deserves to be so.
Allow me to make two wishes: with the new Cayman GT4 lapping the 'Ring at 7:40, I really want to see a GTA version of the 4C. Just imagine how cool would it be! And second, would you make a racing version, Alfa Romeo?
Driving this famed 4C makes me positive about the future that is ahead of us: for the first time in 20 years, it happens to be brighter. It's definitely a first-step forward to what it'll be the rebirth of the great Alfa Romeo history.

Two seats and and loads of fun: test driving the new Abarth 695 Biposto

I must admit I quite love the new Abarth two seater hot hatch. It's a properly fun little car that puts a big smile on your face and promises to turn your daily commute to the grocery store into something more...well more entertaining. 

Having recently driven mostly automatic gearboxes with paddles, the manual Biposto is something of a relief. Sadly it was not the dog ring 'box I wanted that I have tested, the one with the proper alluminum Ferrari like grill and inverted selection movements (to engage first, which is in the hi left position you need to pull the stick towards you) but a regular manual. 

The interior design is something you would expect from any 595 Abarth out there, but Abarth have kicked things up a notch: the rear seats are gone missing, replaced by a titanium roll bar, plenty of carbon fiber and no arm rests: a tiny red piece of cloth is all you need to close the doors. The dials are condensed into a single round cluster of new design and graphics. It  also shows you the turbo boost in bars . A touch of "performance awareness" if you want and it is now in front of you and not concealed by the thick steering wheel like on current Abarth cars.

Seats are quite comfortable too and I find them to be decently supportive during high cornering.

Carpets and sound isolation is not an option, so we rest our feer on the elegantly worked alluminium floors.

The sound of the Akrapovic exhaust is properly loud in the limits of sreet legality, and they offer a pleasing tone, never to mention the slovenian two stage piping which offers a good amount of high flux efficiency. 

As you would expect, inside the car the is a sound that is considerably louder than most cars and to me is a good thing, as I can finally properly listen what the engine is doing without constantly looking at the rev counter.

The car I tested was not loaded with options tough: the central racing dial was not installed, as were the Sabelt carbon seats and belts and the windows were not policarbonate. Nevertheless, it looked pretty good with the simple carbon fiber door panels: no switches and just a red cloth handle to close the door. Let's hope to have a go in the future in a fully loaded one, just for the fun of the alluminium racing shifter being used on the street!

On a twisty track like Castelletto di Branduzzo, the Abarth Biposto feels like a rollercoaster ride. I am impressed with the smooth and consistent power delivery wich remind me of the 4c acceleration: a brilliant 1.4 liter straight 4 with 190 hp that definitely feels to deliver just above 200. Low rev torque is a great ally in torque steering the car in slower corners. Definitely the Biposto is not as fast as the mighty 4C, as we propel the little hot hatch to 80 mph at the end of the short straight (the 4C went 95 mph) but you have the sensation that the car is definitely faster than it really is, even if a quick look at the dial won't leave you disappointed.

Fast turns show the perfect combination of the short wheelbase, Macpherson strut suspension, and the self-locking differential: these elements are so cleverly put together that make the car composed and acting almost as it was wheel drive. As a matter of fact, it does not have the tendency to swing the nose when accelerating trough corners as most front wheel cars do. During high-speed cornering the car is agile and precise: you just point an angle when entering a turn and it allows you to follow the ideal racing line with ease and make an excellent use of the accelerator pedal. It is also a light car, weighing a little over 2000 pounds (997kg) and this factor definitely increases its track capabilities. 

The rear end has a tendency to lighten when provoked, but it does not become overly unstable to affect the good handling. Steering is light and responds quickly to any input and guarantees precision in the fast direction changes. 

The weight distribution is good too and despite we sit high in the car, the Biposto always maintains all 4 wheels firmly on the ground and you have a good feeling of what the car is doing.

The gearbox lacks a bit in mechanical feel, but gear changes are smooth and easy even during fast shifting. I truly enjoyed the buttery feel of the shifter and gear ratios are, in my opinion, perfectly matched for some fun driving in the hills or any narrow twisty road. What I did not like is the close position of the second and fourth gears: in downshift you can easily engage the fourth when it is the second you need. They're placed so close together you need to push the stick with conviction, clearly telling the mechanism that is second that you want. This feature can be frustrating at times and I wish Abarth would correct it, but, a precise movement will guarantee second with almost no mistake.

The pedals feel great too, and they're the perfect match for heel and toe. When braking, just flick the right foot to the accelerator pedal and the rev-happy engine will power up to the rpms you need for the downshift. Clutch is light as you would expect from a modern day manual, and the brake pedal feels great and allows you to control the amount of braking power you need.

What I did not like is the high mounted position of the pedalboard, another typical Fiat feature, and I have some problems in taking my foot away from the clutch when I am not shifting. In some way, I am forced to drive with the foot on the clutch which is not a great driving tip. But other than that, the angle of the pedals is just about right and perfectly matched with the brilliant spirit of the Biposto.

In the end, my opinion of the 695 Biposto is very positive. It is a funny little hatch offering serious driving dynamics to the driver. Getting out of it you feel like you've driven a proper modern car and you just wish you would drive more, maybe on a long trip, just for an excuse to have more fun in it. On the market the Biposto is something unique and special: no other manufacturer offers such an extreme package. Price is not a cheap one, but if you'd like to have a perfect complement for the daily routine that would sit happily next to your 458 speciale, well, you won't be disappointed by this little fun car. Well done Abarth!