Why Alfa's Modern Mid-Engine Sports Car Will Become A Collectible – CarBuzz

Alfa Romeo has built its reputation on producing some of the most passionate and beautiful sports cars in history, and the 4C was no exception. Introduced as a concept in 2011, the world immediately fell in love with the future of the Alfa Romeo brand, with its classic teledial wheels, iconic triangular front grille, and mid-engined performance. Before it was even confirmed for production, enthusiasts and journalists alike were convinced it would be a hit.

4C Coupe

Model

4C

Segment

Coupe

Base MSRP

$55,900

Until it hit the market, that is. When the model finally arrived, it divided people. Some thought it was terrible to drive, while others thought the non-power assisted steering was sublime, and that its hardcore nature was epic. Because of the Alfa’s carbon tub, it was also expensive, which pushed it straight into Porsche 718 Cayman space, and that’s not a car you want to compete with. Especially back then, when it was only available with an NA flat-six.

At the time, the car was a flop, but hindsight is 20/20, and in our modern world of turbocharged and hybridized powertrains, it’s set to become a future classic.

The 4C: Alfa Romeo’s Last Sports Car

Alfa Romeo’s return to sports car manufacturing with the 4C was a bold but decisive move. The brand had returned to the US years prior, when Fiat helped the company import the gorgeous 8C Competizione stateside, marking a return to the market for the first time since 1995.

That vehicle was impeccably styled inside and out and packed a Ferrari-derived V8 engine. As a limited production car, it was just the first taste of Alfa Romeo, one that was set for expansion once the Fiat Chrysler merger was completed in 2012.

Established as a more affordable sports car than the 8C, the 4C was the perfect mass-produced model to get Americans excited about the brand again before additional models like the Giulia and Stelvio joined the range. Armed with strikingly good looks, its focus was on lightness and driver engagement above all else, and it packed a turbocharged 4-cylinder powertrain that gave the car its name and sent power to the rear wheels.

With a base price of $55,195, it wasn’t cheap, but this was a genuine mid-engine Italian exotic built in Modena for about the price of a Boxster, and it weighed less. It should have been a hit, but as Alfa Romeo would soon find out, innovative build quality and good looks can only take a car so far.

Low Weight, Controversial Engine Choice

One of the 4C’s defining features was its incredibly low weight. It had a curb weight of just 2,465 pounds, thanks to a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, aluminum subframes, and a stripped-down interior. To put this into perspective, it is much less than the 718 Boxster with the PDK (3,097 lbs), and only marginally more than the ND Miata with the automatic transmission (2,405 lbs), both of which were on sale during its life.

While most modern sports cars focus on power increases, the 4C took a Lotus approach to performance, stripping out many of the creature comforts in the interior besides a small sound system and AC. At first glance, it seemed to embody the purist sports car ethos, but the powertrain and transmission choice are where things fell apart.

The car featured a brand new, all-aluminum 1.7-liter turbocharged inline-four engine that produced a respectable 237 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Innovations to the turbocharger and scavenging technology meant that 80% of the engine’s torque was available as low as 1,700 rpm, which you could take full control of thanks to the 6-speed dual-clutch automatic.

On paper, it sounds solid, particularly its 10.4 lbs/horsepower figure, but in practice, the engine lacked the character we’ve become accustomed to thanks to some great six and eight-cylinder Alfa Romeo models over the decades. Additionally, the DCT often struggled at slow speeds or around town, giving sluggish shifts as unrefined DCTs love to do; constantly reminding you that a car that treasures the driver experience above all else lacks a manual transmission.

The car only truly felt at home being driven hard on a back road, where the chassis balance shined, and the transmission was free to rattle off shifts at full blast. Here, the car’s driver-centric nature was allowed to shine, but these experiences are fleeting at best, and once again, it’s back to reality as you expertly dodge even the slightest road imperfection on the way home in hopes of saving another trip to the chiropractor.

The Market Has Embraced And Disregarded The 4C

The car was simply out of place on the market. Its powertrain lacked the refinement of Porsche’s flat-6 and later boxer-4, and its driving experience was simply too hardcore for most. The car was good in many ways but failed to reach the level of greatness many of its predecessors did, leading to it becoming an abysmal sales failure.

The car was sold from 2014 to 2020 in the US and failed to eclipse 1,000 units sold in a single year, barely hitting a peak of 663 in 2015. Word of mouth and middling reviews did a number on its reputation, but more often than not, buyers couldn’t get over the fact it only made 237 horsepower despite costing around $60,000. Yeah, the Cayman and Boxster weren’t a lot better in this regard, but they had Porsche badges.

Related

Alfa Romeo To Introduce All-Electric 4C Successor Before 2030

The electric sports car is rumored to wear the 4E badge and will feature retro-inspired styling.

However, it’s starting to feel as if the 4C was simply ahead of its time. Today, the market is inundated with technologically advanced and disconnected vehicles that may produce impressive numbers on paper, but lack the character that a true driver’s car needs. Additionally, more sports cars are being offered with 4-cylinder engines, like the Porsche 718 and Mercedes-AMG SL Roadster, with varying results.

Enthusiasts have started to recognize that the 4C is something unique, not meant to compete with Porsche but to deliver a raw, unfiltered driving experience that’s wholly its own. It’s about looking incredible and blasting down a back road doing it, and despite everything else on the market getting more expensive, the 4C has remained remarkably consistent.

The Makings Of A Future Collectible

So what does a brilliantly flawed vehicle like the 4C have to offer buyers in 2025? Exclusivity and raw sex appeal. There’s nothing on the road today that is going to turn heads like the 4C will at this price point. It’s all about quick, Saturday morning drives and pulling up to your reservation in exotic Italian, mid-engined style. It’s a car that steals the show even if it’s lacking in a few areas, but don’t all the greatest Italian exotics have flaws?

Related

Alfa Romeo 4C Brought Back From The Dead For One Last Hurrah

The 4C was discontinued after 2020, but Alfa Romeo is selling three ‘new’ cars four years later.

Reasons To Reconsider The 4C

• Low production numbers: Only a little over 2,000 were sold in the US over its entire run
• Unique engineering: The carbon-fiber monocoque is something usually reserved for supercars, making the 4C an outlier in its price range.
• A disappearing breed: As automakers embrace heavier, electrified sports cars, lightweight, mid-engine, turbocharged models like the 4C are becoming extinct.
• Changing enthusiast opinions: Many who once dismissed the 4C are now coming back to it, realizing that its flaws are part of its charm.

As the automotive industry moves further into electrification and technological complexity, cars like the 4C will stand out as symbols of a different era. Currently, used prices are sitting around $60,000 for low mileage examples (sub-10,000), meaning you can find yourself in what’s essentially a brand-new 4C. We fully believe enthusiasts and collectors alike will soon recognize that the 4C was ahead of its time, and this price will soon feel like a bargain for what’s eventually (we’re calling it now) going to fetch 6 figure prices.

Sources: Alfa Romeo