Alfa Romeo 4C review

It’s an absolute blast, simple as that, a ballsy reversal of the power war that has gripped the industry’s big guns for years. But… there are a few buts. The 4C's chassis is as sensational as you'd hope. Overall the car weighs just 925kg, and you can feel that lack of mass through your fingertips and backside. However while the 4C is stiff, on UK roads it's a total fidget, darting after cambers, sniffing left and right. It may be Lotus-like in ethos but it lacks the Elise's finesse entirely. At times the freneticism is alarming, which is a pity given the potential of this exotic chassis. Italian racing specialist Brembo supplies the 4C's brakes, and at least they're great. 

Unfortunately, the powertrain lags behind, in more ways than one. There’s just no getting round the shortfalls of a blown four-pot instead of something with more cylinders and more purity, and though the 4C sounds pretty fruity on the outside, inside it’s a bit flat and droney. The turbo’s also rather intrusive, and though the 4C is addictively fast – 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds, 160mph top speed – and doesn’t lack torque, it’s nowhere near as seamless in its delivery as, say, the old six-cylinder Porsche Cayman. Its TCT dual-shift gearbox is annoyingly obstructive, and overall it's hard to have confidence in the 4C. It simply doesn't drive as well as it should.