2014 Alfa Romeo 4C pictures

The Alfa Romeo 4C is a back-to-basics sports car offering stunning looks and the promise of lots of driver involvement.

With unassisted steering the Alfa Romeo 4C should be a dream to drive on a back road, but in reality the wheel just feels odd.

The Alfa Romeo 4C uses a turbocharged four-cylinder engine packing 237bhp.

The body is undeniably gorgeous but the headlight treatment is divisive.

The 4C makes no pretentions towards practicality - the boot is unashamedly tiny.

The Alfa's carbon-fibre monocoque means it weighs less than 900kg.

The interior is sparse, and engine noise is so loud you'll have to crank the radio up a long way to hear anything.

The dual-clutch gearbox shifts quickly but for pure driver involvement we'd have liked to see a manual option.