RSS_Auto_Poster
Well-known member
So, the 4C on UK roads for the first time. How was it?
Devastatingly pretty. So sublime to look at that I didn’t even notice the headlights. Everyone loved it. It’s beyond eye-catching, a slice of real exotica, so pert and neat and stunningly well executed. It brightened up the dankness of a January weekday. In short, the sun shines out of its pert...
Stop. I can't help but think you're skirting the issue here...
You're right, I am. So... how to put this? The 4C wasn't very good. OK, that's harsh, and I'm measuring it against some very high expectations. So let's instead qualify that by saying it wasn't as good as we hoped. But a car that looks like this and is made up of such a tempting cocktail of components and statistics - carbon fibre tub, mid-mounted engine, 895kg kerbweight, unassisted steering, rear-wheel drive - should drive better than the 4C does.
Let me guess: it's a bit rowdy on motorways?
More than that, though it's a fair place to start. If you gave yourself a sliding scale of civility and habitability, with the Porsche Cayman at one end and the Lotus Exige at the other, then, before driving the 4C, I would have placed it somewhere in the middle. Wrong. It's right down the Lotus end. Possibly beyond it, in fact. Put it this way. If you drive along at 70mph and put the windows down, the only difference you notice is a bit of extra breeze. The noise levels stay pretty much the same.
So the 4C compromised, more so than I expected. Yes, it has some boot space behind the engine, and the cabin is more ‘designed' than that of a Lotus, but it's still a bare place to spend time, short on toys and equipped with an entertainment system of genuine complexity and a set of speakers that struggle to make themselves heard. I think owners, many of whom I guess are buying it as their only car, will be quite surprised at the compromises the 4C forces on them.
Is it comfortable to sit in?
Not really. The seat lacks under-thigh support and are as thinly padded as the rest of the cabin. And with a foot-wide sill, small door aperture and low roofline to negotiate, dignity could be an issue. I also have issues with the steering wheel, which simply has too much going on: flat bottom, sloping indents that don't hold your thumbs in place, thickness changes around the rim. It could be that I was a bit grumpy at the 4C, but it made me feel like that. When I went down to the car park with the keys in my hand, I was so excited at the prospect of finally driving it. That wore off too quickly.
The gearbox was criticised in the early drives. That the problem?
Actually no. The double clutch gearbox isn't the best of its breed, but it's decent enough - I've got a feeling it's come in for some last minute fettling, as the paddles operate quickly and accurately. Nor did I have any issue with the ride quality - in fact I was surprised how poised it felt over the sharp-edged speedbumps outside our office. The ride is certainly firm with little body movement, but it's not harsh or crashy - Alfa has done a decent job. It doesn't have the stunning resolve, control and professionalism of a Lotus, but it's a long way from awful. The firmness and lack of roll does give the 4C snappy reactions. I had bigger issues with the brakes, which didn't feel that great underfoot, and, more importantly, the steering.
Really? Isn't the steering unassisted and wonderful?
Written By:- Ollie Marriage
More of this article on the Top gear website
