The new 4C Spider is a carbon fiber beauty with a rolled soft top, sporting the standard leather interior of the series, fitted with an Alpine audio system, and having a narrow, compact cockpit with a windshield that doesn’t leave much room behind. It can accommodate two types of detachable tops and comes with a rear seat and a battery pack.
Alfa Romeo’s Spider is for the truly passionate. This is somewhat more challenging to drive. In terms of looks and performance, it is praiseworthy, but it is definitely on the noisy side. At high speeds, you will definitely hear the turbo engine roaring. In fact, from the moment you start it you get to hear how noisy it can be at any stage. Its 1.7-liter turbo engine has 4 cylinders and still, it’s got an advantage over one of the coupes when it comes to noise: with the top off, the noise it makes isn’t as strong.
The roll-up or folding part is so easy to put away – just store it in the car’s little trunk. Installing and removing it can be done in record times – under a minute. The removable canvas roof can be replaced with a hard top if you wish. There is a version that you can lift off, priced at $3500. This one, however, will not fit inside.
The 4C Spider will keep you highly involved while driving. It allows for power steering and many of the mentioned aspects tend to get better once it’s at full throttle. The steering also runs smoother. As for the brakes, these may not be exactly what you are used to. However, once you get a grip of it, you become accustomed and you realize they work extremely well. The brake pedal is shaped for a race car. It responds to very small movements. You can even sell this car whenever you are chased by your need to “Sell My Car” at a really good price.
Compared to the closed cabin version, this open-top model features a lower ground clearance (4.4 inches from 4.5). Besides this, it is 22 pounds heavier with the roof on (if you opt for the canvas one instead of carbon fiber). Also, the mufflers of the Spider are larger and there is one solid piece used as cover for the engine. Inside, you get two mobile phone slots, one by each seat. The sound system, as mentioned already, is of a different make and looks much more manageable.
This lightweight model can handle more than just smooth roads and is able to get into some mess. The controls are smart and let the driver know what exactly is happening and how to handle it. This is good news because every driver will be tempted (and even encouraged) to push this car to its limits. It sort of intoxicates and you can feel that with the first test drive. This won’t be a cheap acquisition, though. It certainly looks like a supercar and the price tag is honoring that. In any case, Spider proves that 2016 is a good year for cars.