In terms of sex appeal, the new super-model assembled by
Maserati in Modena clearly eclipses the challenger from Zufenhausen. The 4C is
exceptionally pretty from all angles. Its proportions are emphatically seductive,
as every detail catches the eye and holds it for a second before letting it
move on. Even the odd, wart-shaped head-lights grow on you. The side air
intakes are brash and bold, and the rear end with the round taillights and the
see-through engine cover looks like a junior Ferrari 458 Italia.
In terms of sex
appeal, the new super-model assembled by Maserati in Modena clearly eclipses
the challenger from Zufenhausen.
In terms of practicality, however, the 4C is not one iota
more advanced than Alfa Romeo’s legendary 33 Stradale that was built between
1967 and 1969. Rear-three-quarter visibility is nonexistent, the cockpit is a
droning symphony composed of hard black plastic, and the tiny trunk aft of the
engine will fry your luggage like a microwave oven on high. The steering wheel
has a squared-off bottom, and the garish all-digital instrumentation looks as
silly as that in a Lamborghini Aventador. The center console houses four
push-buttons labeled 1, R, A/M, and N, which are hard to reach and even harder
to see. The dual-clutch automatic transmission’s transition from reverse to
forward takes long enough to double your heart rate, and it is accompanied by
an infuriating chime. Headroom and shoulder clearance are not an issue, but
climbing into and out of the car should be practiced in private before you
embarrass yourself in public. Once installed, one sits tall with stretched arms
and legs akimbo in that typical Italian driving position, which works much
better for jockeys than for centers or forwards.
Of the two very
different mid-engine sports cars, the all-new Alfa turns more heads
If the 4C is a high-tech bivouac on wheels, then the Cayman
is a fully furnished luxury condo. It can be optioned with touchscreen
navigation, eighteen-way adaptive sport seats, and a Burmester sound system.
The Alfa has none of this, but then it is some 650 pounds lighter in American
spec. Its carbon-fiber tub weighs only 143 pounds, and the heavily revised
version of the 1742-cc engine from the Giulietta has shed 49 pounds. Even the
controversial head-lamp units save nine pounds each over a less offensive
design. To cut more calories, there are only two airbags (U.S. cars will add
side and knee airbags), only two speakers, and only two ways to adjust the
basic yet comfortable seats. The compact dimensions also help. At 157 inches,
the Alfa is fifteen inches shorter than the Porsche. The wheelbase, however, is
only 3.7 inches less than the Porsche, which is slightly narrower and 4.3
inches taller. EPA ratings are not yet available for the 4C, but in the
European test cycle it is less thirsty than the Cayman, suggesting that it will
beat the PDK-equipped Cayman’s 22/32 mpg EPA figures. But the Alfa’s tiny
10.6-gallon fuel tank creates a frustratingly short cruising range, unlike the
Porsche with its 16.9-gallon tank.
Cayman is a master
of creaminess. The steering is smooth and progressive, the light-footed
handling is easily modulated
Price isn’t going to be the deciding factor here, as the
Alfa’s U.S. starting figure of “approximately $54,000” (according to an Alfa
spokesman) is right on top of the Boxster’s current base tab of $53,550. What
has a real effect is the sprint from 0 to 62 mph, where the 4C’s much more
energetic 4.5 seconds not only clearly eclipses the Cayman’s 5.4 seconds but
actually matches that of a stick-shift 400-hp 911 Carrera S. On paper, the
six-cylinder car narrowly edges its four-cylinder rival in terms of top speed
(164 mph versus 160 mph), but on the A26 autostrada both coupes reached an identical
indicated 166 mph. The 4C is not only quicker of the mark, it also dominates
the torque sweepstakes. While the Cayman’s normally aspirated 2.7-liter flat
six develops 213 lb-ft between 4,500 and 6,500 rpm, the 4C’s turbocharged
four-cylinder spreads a notably brawnier 258 lb-ft from 2,200 to 4,250 rpm.
So how does the Cayman manage to keep up? For a start, its
engine will rev to 7600 rpm rather than being redlined at 6,500 rpm, and its
transmission has seven instead of six gears for longer legs and a more
progressive acceleration curve. It is, of course, the weight advantage that
makes the Alfa shine against the stopwatch and in traffic, where the doctor
orders fewer downshifts. In the Porsche, you find your-self driving in
hyperactive Sport Plus mode most of the time in order to keep up with the red
rebel.
The 4C is
automatic only; no stick shift is ofered.
It’s a great car, this Ferrari-inspired two-seater, but
sooner or later there comes a time when you frown at its idiosyncratic
character. Whereas the Porsche is so homogenous it almost morphs with itself,
the Alfa releases you with rosy cheeks, sore palms, and the subconscious on
fire. The tallest hurdle between mistrust and friend-ship is the manual
steering. Above 10 mph, the effort required is spot-on most of the time, but at
parking speeds the direction-finder threatens to freeze in your arms. The quick
and responsive rack controls a pair of relatively narrow front tires. Our test
car was fitted with the optional racing package, which includes 205/40YR-18
Pirelli PZeros on one end and fatter 235/35YR-19 tires on the other. The 4C’s
chassis setup also features an unorthodox suspension layout: control arms in
front and MacPherson struts in the rear, as well as a pronounced 40/60-percent
rear weight bias.
