2015 Alfa Romeo 4C is Freakin Amazing

Ever since Fiat SpA took hold of the reins for the Chrysler Group, there have been Mopar lovers who questioned the partnership between Chrysler and Fiat.  But with the introduction of the 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C – Mopar lovers should embrace the involvement between their favorite American automaker and Italy’s largest automaker.

I got a chance to drive the 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C on an autocross course last week and I was 100% blown away.

On paper, it isn’t hard to see why American performance car lovers might question the high performance capabilities of the Alfa Romeo 4C. After all, with only 237 horsepower and 258lb-ft of torque, the 4C is substantially less powerful than the new V6 powered Chrysler 200 sedan but the new Alfa presents one of those situations where the raw power numbers only play a very small part.

The more critical figure is the weight and with a curb weight of just over 2,100 pounds – the 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C is one of the lightest weight full body cars sold in America.

That incredibly low curb weight affords the 4C a power to weight ratio that puts it well within the realm of some awesome performance cars in terms of both handling and pure acceleration. With that in mind, I expected that the 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C would be pretty quick when I took to the test track at Chrysler’s Chelsea Proving Grounds but as soon as I got out of the gate, I was completely blown away at how quickly the 4C accelerates.

I eased away from the starting line through a short turn before hitting the first short straight and when I put the hammer down on that straightaway, the new Alfa quickly shoved me deep into the race inspired driver’s seat.

With the powerful turbocharged engine mounted just behind the driver’s seat, you can hear the turbocharger spool up but there is really no lag of any kind.

When I got to the first hard turn, I barely had to slow down to keep the Alfa Romeo 4C inside of the cones and even as I headed into the first tight slalom, the 4C ripped through the turns with the greatest of ease.

I totally expected this small, lightweight Italian sports car to zip through the turns but the Alfa really shines when you enter the straights as this minuscule turbocharged 4-cylinder engine provides enough power to make the 4C feel incredibly fast. I was truly blown away by how well this car handled the turns and accelerated out of them.

The 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C handles beautifully – just how you would expect an Italian sports car to handle – and it does so while drawing a generous amount of power from the turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that sounds better than any 4-cylinder engine that I’ve heard in stock form.

Sure, the new Alfa Romeo 4C doesn’t have the monster power of many high performance sports cars sold in America and honestly, it has an aesthetic design that is truly unique to the Alfa brand.

Those two factors might turn away some prospective buyers looking to drop $60k on a new sports car but in spending a few minutes behind the wheel of this remarkable new turbocharged coupe – I can safely say that this is a car that anyone who truly loves driving will look forward to climbing into every single day.

Check out my video below showing the 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C in action and make sure that you have your speakers cranked up so that you can enjoy the aural delights that roar from the rear of this spunky little high performance coupe.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com