Alfa Romeo 4C Road Test In the Alps - As good as an Exige?

Finally driven an Alfa Romeo 4C and in the Alps to boot!! This is Alfa's first sign of a return to form, but is it good enough to play against the likes of the Exige? A road test I'd been really looking forward to!!
And..as some of you will notice, by popular demand no music on the actual road test!

[@PRG888]

Finally got my Alfa 4c in absolutely love it. It's had the Alfaworks handling modifications and the quicksilver exhaust and it's awesome. You should get one

[@Number27]

Have been thinking about it Peter.. but it may be too much cash.. let’s see! Glad you’ve got one and are holy with yours!

[@PRG888]

I think medium to long term they will appreciate... I think they have bottomed out (around 35K) and at that price a bargain. Especially as they have now stopped production

[@RobertKarlBerta]

Agreed with upgrade to Alfaworks shims to add a bit more caster and maybe a bit more of negative camber. The big let down are the stock P Zero tires. They are the cause of the tramming, Just going from stock tires to one size up on each end of Michelin makes a dramatic difference in handling and mostly eliminates tramming even on stock suspension.. The car is deceptive.....my next door neighbor has an identical 4C to mine with the suspension tweak, tires, ECU. Previously he owned a US version of the Exige with supercharged engine, ECU, bigger intercooler, suspension upgrades, etc. In other words very similar upgrades for both cars. He says the 4C is significantly faster than the Exige. Note that was the one with the Toyota engine....the newer 6 cylinder cars aren't imported into the US sadly....but they would be dramatically more expensive than the 4C and at a price point when people would pass it by for a Porsche. There are several reviews on KZbin of Exige vs. the 4C in stock and various modded setup. The 4C does quite well thank you. Both cars have warts that are easily and cheaply fixed. But the 4C is a lot more comfortable and roomy to drive (although still congested), Getting in a Exige is quite a bit more difficult than the 4C but both aren't great in that manner. Overall both are great cars and a blast to drive. Mine is a 2015 and has been trouble free....in fact they have proven to be pretty much bullet proof cars.

[@johnconnor9763]

Peter Gadsby i love my 4c spider

[@mohammadaaron583]

I realize Im quite off topic but do anybody know of a good website to watch new tv shows online ?

[@ghayuta]

I got my Alfa 4c last week and it’s amazing.

[@Jrampton]

Great video ! Good Times !!

[@e36s50b30]

Brings back great memories Giovanni!

[@HomeBuiltByJeff]

What a stunning place to drive and film and it looked like a beautiful day. Fantastic beauty shots. What tripod are you using becase that was some very nice smooth panning?

[@polarbear111000]

Good review!!

[@carmaniac9802]

The front lights are for sure no cost saving, those are carbon fibre and cost way more than tradition once. I like them! The story is that the us market wanted more traditional lights so they swapped them ...

[@pedroelbee]

Great video, stunning scenery! In most of the shots it looks like you weren’t in dynamic mode. Makes a huge difference in throttle response and shifting. You should use it as an excuse to borrow the Car again ;)

[@lkearney7299]

Yes, I noticed that. Dynamic mode would have made a considerable difference. Then there's Race mode....

[@steffydog]

Wowza, forget the car, look at those roads, I will have to drive those one day, stunning. Car, very nice in white, not sure it’s a goer 🏁

[@christophergavin9188]

Good video. Looking at some of the steep drops, I'm wondering whether I've done the right thing going on the Alpine tour... Anyway, the video. Great video, with some fab shots of roads and mountains from the car. The car? I think the sounds are nice and raw in a 4-cylinder way. I think the jinking around cambers and potholes would be tiring in the UK. For me (having not driven either) the Exige would be an overall better car.

[@Number27]

Cheers Chris and don't worry, you'll love the tour. Just make sure you go at whatever pace is good for you

[@Black2005Lotus]

Interesting review as I went from an Elise to a 4C Spider 30 months ago. I've got more lust for the 4C, but no doubt the Elise was much easier to drive fast - the Lotus was far more linear in the throttle and the steering read the road without feeling twitchy. The 4C above 100mph makes me nervous because of the steering. My car has the "track suspension" which may contribute some, but like you said on a smooth surface on a good road, it all works brilliantly.

[@Shadow1986]

are the overall limits better than the elise? Or would hte elise perform better if it had same power:weight ratio

[@tfsidsg]

Did u have the dna switch set to dynamic? makes a huge difference to throttle response. best is to be in race mode where all tcs and dsc is switched off... nice vid

[@Number27]

tfsidsg not for the first half but I did do later!

[@tfsidsg]

Number27 a good friend of mine drove the car for 700km and decided he couldnt live with it as engine response was so poor. after i showed him the dna switch he totally changed his mind! there have been reviews on the net where it drives me mad that they have it on normal mode. great to hear that u were in dynamic. race is a different world again tho. i did get a fair bit of driving in this and a exige v6 back to back. as a pure driving tool the exige has incredible steering. the best on any car on sale now. theres also a very small gap in straightline performance in favour of the exige which all but vanishes with a chiptune on the alfa the highpoints for the 4c are: concept car looks much more spacious inside. seats much further apart much easier to enter and exit as wider opening super rigid tub and no fake carbon cladding on the sills like some exiges. hate that much better cabin design flair. can t believe people can rate the lotus interior better. its not! price. its much cheaper than any new exige v6 variant u can buy now overall specialness. it just plainly feels incredibly exotic for something under 100 grand. alfa for me. easy choice! just overall feeling of specialness

[@CheeksMeister]

Nice video mate, interesting that even with front geo "fixed" it was still chasing cambers, sounds like there's something not right in the hub design that enables this to be dialled out. Damping also sounds like it's not smoothing out the low speed/frequency undulations....maybe some adjustable would benefit the car!?

[@Number27]

Grant Jackson I'm sure trick shocks would help Grant.. its not awful, but it there!

[@DDd-hr6mz]

Number27 I think the "cure" lies in getting a proper alignment according to some owners. Another mod is blocks provided by an English company called Alfaworks. Lastly, insist on the 17/18" wheel combination, not the more common 18/19" which comes with the "track package.". The added compliance from the taller sidewall will end the matter once and for all.

[@bispal]

Great review Jack :-) Did that one have the race exhaust or standard?

[@Number27]

standard I think...

[@HenriqueLeal92]

i dont know why everybody hates the carbon headlights... they look way better than the new plastic thing..

[@WanderingFriar]

I've got vertigo from that pass! and I'm watching from the monitor too... Wowwww...!

[@Number27]

Thanks for watching buddy!

[@whispjohn]

There was a huge waiting list for this car a while back, that says it all really. You guys on KZbin think you are car reviewers, it is just another personal point of view. Watch David Cironi's channel and see an Italian drives Alfas.

[@Number27]

John, i think that of you read the description of my channel a car reviewer is exactly what I don’t claim to be!’ Thanks for watching though!

[@johnireland1629]

How did you fit in it? I'm 5'9" and I felt cramped just sitting in it...I couldn't get the steering wheel far enough away for me and I had the seat all the way back. As big an Alfa fan as I am, I just could not love this car enough to even take a test drive in it. The coupe they should have made, and didn't, was a Disco Volante styled coupe based on the Giulia chassis and engine. One of the great things about the 308 is that it is designed with all four wheels the same size, and with a full sized spare. I don't understand why the modern cars can't achieve this basic part of motoring.

[@Matteo-ks6fn]

Here in Milan i saw quote of them and we have no many streets smooth and silky like a pool table. Should be interesting put the fish out of water and try it within city dalla. Btw exhaust sound is good from the outside, just a bit of popping and whistling from charger waste valvle, i think... Good video, Sir.

[@Number27]

Grazie mille per i complimenti sul video.. forse dovrei anche fare questi video in italiano

[@Matteo-ks6fn]

@@Number27 Good idea: it would widen your fan base. But where i can exercise my english if not on KZbin? Subtitles, may be..?

[@gerardov.9716]

Number27 where were you? The panorama is beautiful.

[@MrTremaine182]

I've not driven either but even based on reviews I'd take the 4c for the looks alone. Having actually tried them both, what'd you pick?

[@Number27]

difficult to say Edwin, they are so different in character.. the Lotus is the more able car but the Alfa is more characterful. On track or at 10/10ths I'd pick the Lotus.. but it would be a hard choice

[@Fluterra]

Lotus any day. The 4C is botched. It’s sad. It should have been a great car.

[@sgru9558]

4C has a soul, the Exige doesn't.

[@djbrianc]

Here in the States it had gotten lots of good reviews. Automobile, motor trend, road and track have all done reviews. Automobile named it the best driver's car. I believe from memory it was second in Motortrend's annual best driver's car and it did well in their ultimate drag race. The issues at had seemed to be Evo's dislike on British B roads. Guess in America we don't have that problem. I can tell you that owning both an Elise and a 4C Spider, the Alfa feels better on Baltimore bumpy roads.

[@Number27]

djbrianc hey thanks, that's good to hear! I have to say that even on fairly smooth alpine roads I felt something not quite right with the front end.. but I did love the car!! Thanks for watching!

[@evertdevries8814]

8:04 Sheeeesh! Did you kerb the wheels there?

[@jonathandiaz1244]

How is it that every single part of Switzerland is so beautiful?

[@Number27]

Great isn't it? just a shame their traffic cops are so ruthless... thanks for watching Jonathan!

[@Tracertme]

Maybe not the most logical comparison, but how do you feel about this compared to your Esprit..... Jack?

[@Number27]

WoW, you’ve really been going through my videos Alan! These cars are really not comparable at all. Could not be more different. Esprit was also more of a tourer aside from lack of rear space

[@marioclara8357]

Lovely British people,I drove the two cars. The Alfa is for people who know how to drive on the edge and with a pair of balls.

[@Number27]

Grazie Mario 😛... un paio di palle per la 4C ..? Dovresti provare una Exige

[@eze8970]

🙏

[@ninefourteener]

Sept 2022.... It's interesting to watch these old reviews.... when the cars were new. Everyone complained - They are cheap, noisy, quirky, difficult to drive, full of comprimises, etc. They were constantly compared to an Exige.... or a Porsche Cayman. All these bad reviews..... AR couldn't sell them.... and they discontinued them. NOW..... people understand it. NOW they finally understand what AR was after: A TRUE driver's car. Not a "luxurious sports car" that it was so often compared to..... but rather a TRUE track car, built for the road. It's not friendly. It's not easy to drive. It's harsh, loud, quirky, minimalistic, and borders on "brutal". and you can't buy anything else like it..... period. Which is why in 2022....values have SKYROCKETED.... and collectors are scooping them up, caring for them, and watching them increase in value almost daily. ..... like myself. The 4C is the best "purist" car...... since the Porsche 914-6 of the early 1970s.

[@duanedenning3500]

I agree, Have had my 4c for 5 years now, nothing else comes close to how good it is. Have owned many cars and this is my favorite by far. It will be in my garage for a long time!

[@AlfaEricWashDC]

You should never get into an Alfa Romeo expecting something youre used to. The headlights were an attempt at Style and uniqueness. Like on the Pagani cars... As soon as other cars set the style standards for how you should style your car, your car is no better styled than that car. Look at the radio, That Parrot head unit was actually very nice and yes different but it was more aligned with smart phone tech etc... Everyone complained and wanted a familiar stereo and got just that. One you’d find in a everyday electronic store, and it looks cheap! It’s actually the same unit that went into the 8C in 2006. (The changed them in later models) anywho.... WeAreAlfisti Alfisti.mn.co

[@PaddyMcQueen]

3:33 sorry but that is not the Gottard pass !

[@cycletexas9157]

Great reviewer. Tired of all of the hyperbole in reviews this day. Also tired of them all acting like mama’s boys (Exception: Harris). This reviewer acts like what he is, a grown man.

[@Number27]

Thank you sir, that is most kind but praise I don’t really deserve being an average Joe with limited car knowledge. But I’m glad you enjoyed this!!

[@JJs_playground]

The European headlights are hideous, but you US model is around 350lbs heavier.

[@ImBarryScottCSS]

Can't even keep up with an N/A exige, so you really have to love everything else. The cons outweigh the pros for me with this car, it looks great but everything else is average, boring engine, no manual, cabin is a mixture of brilliant and average, very expensive for what it is. This great chassis deserves better I think. It sounds like a freaking diesel...

[@1183newman]

I think with the 4c, alfa didnt really know how to make a car handle well. The 8c as an example isn't known as a brilliant handling car. So there approach with the 4c was just make it really wide and really stiff, which certainly helps but you can make a car too stiff and then they go and put ridiculous sized wheels on it. No suppleness which is why the exige v6 handles better even though the chassis isn't as stiff.

[@johnconnor9763]

8:04 one centimeter more crash this babe

[@robertgorham3755]

Go get yourself a Volvo station wagon..and maybe a nice new purse.

[@Marc-ty5sz]

lol you hand placement are hideous

[@pl1ght]

yeah noticed that too. question this guys ability to drive properly.

[@dandyPH]

XD omg.... hope you guys know the risk..... with this speed you can end in jail in CH :/

[@Number27]

Der Dandy no risk... the video was speeded up! ;)

[@dandyPH]

thx 4 answering XD aha.... saw Tacho over 120 ;-) they are really rude... Up from 25 km/h over the limit of 80 they put people to jail :-/ be aware..... best regards from the german side at lake of constance :D

[@Number27]

Der Dandy thanks for letting me know! I'll be more curious next time!

[@dandyPH]

;-)

[@fredsalfa]

Ive read about 99% good reviews rather than bad reviews worldwide. Dont know where your reading mostly bad reviews from

[@Number27]

The Uk press was very lukewarm about this car.. most other places seem ok.. also I think due to it not being best suited to roads here..

[@sgru9558]

UK ppl don't understand much about cars, they just follow the mass, german cars. This is the real reason behind their bad reviews.

[@skillsessions8547]

Alfa Won It's "bollocks", as they say over there. I don't believe their absolutely horrendous reviews one bit, quite laughable giving it 5/10 and the like? Rubbish and just a concerted conspiracy to protect their Lotus.

[@fredsalfa]

I have literally only seen one person not like the car, Craig Boverington or something I think his name is. All the other reviews every one loves it ! and Ive seen all the reviews I can find on KZbin and on the web probably 30-50+ Reviews

[@skillsessions8547]

Alfa Won Yes, most reviews I've seen like it but it seems a lot of UK ones don't...Can't recall exactly which ones, Evo? Top Gear? Anyway, not to be believed.

[@pistolpete224able]

what stupid logic, a crap road must equal a crap car!!!!!

[@matteochiantore4769]

Better than an Exige.

[@alexdeleon8507]

Switzerland sucks. If Italy next door is the country that most appreciates supercars and their drivers, Switzerland is the worst. That socialist state hates hates high performance vehicles and does everything it can to make their owners' lives miserable. From taxes to tickets, its obvious those in power don't want these cars on their roads. For such an anti-car country, the Geneva auto show does not deserve all the attention and prestige bestowed upon it by the auto industry and the international car public. Switzerland is a terrible place I will never go back. If you own or love distinctive performance cars, you shouldn't either. Spend your time and Euros somewhere that doesn't hate you.