2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider 1750 cc turbocharged

2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider

The Alfa Romeo 4C Spider name recalls the brand's great sporting tradition: the acronyms 8C and 6C in the 1930s and 1940s distinguished racing and road cars fitted with powerful eight- and six-cylinder engines. Like the award-winning 4C Coupe, the all-new 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider model's designation is a return to "the great Alfa Romeos" and continues this tradition with the innovative all-aluminum 1750 cc turbocharged direct injection, dual intercooler four-cylinder engine, delivering an impressive 136 horsepower-per-liter.

2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider

Thanks to its mid-engine layout, advanced technology and compact size, the all-new 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider demonstrates its precision, agility and performance credentials with a top speed of 160 miles per hour (mph), 0-to-60 mph acceleration blasts in an estimated 4.1-seconds, 1.1 g of lateral acceleration and 1.25 g of maximum braking deceleration.

2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider

Delivering the ultra-lightweight architecture needed for maximum performance and dynamic efficiency, Alfa Romeo engineers looked to Formula 1 and only the most advanced supercars for state-of-the-art materials. The result is a monocoque chassis made entirely of unilateral, "pre-preg" carbon fiber layers that are hand-laid for extraordinary stiffness and strength. 

2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider

At 236 pounds, the highly exotic carbon fiber monocoque chassis delivers a material performance that is three-times stronger and seven-times lighter than steel. Completing the competition-grade architecture are front- and rear-chassis structures and an engine-mounting frame made from lightweight aluminum.

2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider

Thanks to the monocoque's inherent rigidity, Alfa Romeo engineers were able to minimize structural differences between the 4C Spider and 4C Coupe. For a technical look, header strength and to keep the center of gravity low, the 4C Spider features a unilateral carbon fiber windshield frame that is adhered and bolted to the monocoque chassis. 

2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider

In addition, a specially contoured aluminum rollbar (underneath the black or carbon fiber "halo") provides mounting points for the new rear decklid, while unique upper body brackets and a high-strength steel engine compartment cross beam maximize torsional rigidity.

2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider

Alfa Romeo engineers continued the use of state-of-the-art materials by creating the bodywork entirely of SMC (sheet molded compound), a low-density, high-strength composite material that is 20 percent lighter and dimensionally more rigid than steel. Engineers even optimized the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider's windshield and side windows by using 10 percent thinner glass to reduce weight by up to 15 percent.