Photo: Alfa Romeo
When Alfa Romeo introduced the 4C at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, the Italian automaker won new fans with the mid-engine sports car and the hope of existing Alfisti for a brighter future. At the time, Alfa Romeo wasn’t the exciting automaker it is today, an era fronted by the Giulia and Stelvio.
In Quadrifoglio forms, both the Giulia and Stelvio manage to put the 4C in the shade thanks to world-class driving dynamics and a Ferrari-developed twin-turbo V6. What’s more, modern rivals such as the Alpine A110 spell trouble for the 4C, which is why a mid-cycle overhaul is utmost needed.
Speaking to Autocar on the sidelines of the Stelvio Quadrifoglio's launch, engineering head Roberto Fedeli confirmed the facelifted 4C is coming in the latter part of 2018, most likely in the autumn. Retail sales, meanwhile, are anticipated to commence in January 2019 for the 2019 model year.
So what’s the target for the 2019 Alfa Romeo 4C? According to Fedeli, “we are coming back to Formula 1, and we need the 4C to be our halo car.” Other than the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team reference, reading between the lines reveals that something big is in the pipeline for the 4C.
Among the updates, the lightweight sports car is expected to boast improved suspension and steering, “as well as possibly a new engine.” As to what sort of engine that may be, two possibilities should be taken into consideration: an upgraded version of the existing 1.75-liter turbocharged inline-four or the 2.0-liter turbocharged Global Medium Engine introduced by the Giulia.
On the downside, Fedeli told the cited publication that no upcoming high-performance models from Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Ferrari will be offered with a manual transmission. Pointing the finger at the lack of demand among buyers, the 4C will soldier on with a dual-clutch gearbox.
Considering the criticism the 4C picked up when it was launched, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if Alfa Romeo will be pulling all the tricks from the book to make the facelifted model as good as possible. Think Ferrari California compared to the California T.
Speaking to Autocar on the sidelines of the Stelvio Quadrifoglio's launch, engineering head Roberto Fedeli confirmed the facelifted 4C is coming in the latter part of 2018, most likely in the autumn. Retail sales, meanwhile, are anticipated to commence in January 2019 for the 2019 model year.
So what’s the target for the 2019 Alfa Romeo 4C? According to Fedeli, “we are coming back to Formula 1, and we need the 4C to be our halo car.” Other than the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team reference, reading between the lines reveals that something big is in the pipeline for the 4C.
Among the updates, the lightweight sports car is expected to boast improved suspension and steering, “as well as possibly a new engine.” As to what sort of engine that may be, two possibilities should be taken into consideration: an upgraded version of the existing 1.75-liter turbocharged inline-four or the 2.0-liter turbocharged Global Medium Engine introduced by the Giulia.
On the downside, Fedeli told the cited publication that no upcoming high-performance models from Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Ferrari will be offered with a manual transmission. Pointing the finger at the lack of demand among buyers, the 4C will soldier on with a dual-clutch gearbox.
Considering the criticism the 4C picked up when it was launched, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if Alfa Romeo will be pulling all the tricks from the book to make the facelifted model as good as possible. Think Ferrari California compared to the California T.
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