Alfa Romeo 4C video review

The Alfa Romeo 4C is the first car in a long time that can claim to live up to the brand's sporting heritage. With stunning looks, great handling and solid build quality.

Unlike rivals such as the Lotus Elise and the Porsche Cayman, under the amazing bodywork is a carbon-fibre monocoque, similar to the one found in the McLaren 12C or Porsche 918 Spyder. That, and other strict weight saving measures, mean the 4C weighs just 895kg without passengers or fluids, which isn't very much at all.

The engine is a humble four cylinder turbo, taken from the Giulietta hatch, recast in aluminium and tuned up to 240bhp. Meanwhile, it reaches 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds and top speed is 160mph.

While it excels on the track though, on the road, it's not that great. Throttle response feels a little soggy and the engine feels laggy and doesn't rev freely enough. Fortunately, the fantastic TCT twin-clutch gearbox covers up the engines shortfalls - it's lightening fast on up shifts. Other downsides include a lack of stereo and air-con.

There are four driving modes to choose from - Dynamic, Natural, All-weather and Race. Unlike some supercars, Race isn't too aggressive for the road, and it sharpens up the gearbox nicely.

One big problem for the Alfa is the Porsche Cayman. The Cayman wins the race in terms of interior quality, and it's cheaper, too. The 4C starts at £45,000, so it's going to be tough to convince 3,500 customers a year to walk past the Porsche. Has Alfa Romeo done enough? Watch the video review and see.