Forget the mundane. If you’re chasing a truly visceral, engaging driving experience, the Alfa Romeo 4c Spider isn’t just an option—it’s a revelation. Move past the usual suspects like the Porsche Boxster, Mazda Miata, or even the Chevrolet Corvette. To understand raw driving pleasure, you need to embrace Italian passion.
My initial encounter with the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider was nothing short of a shock. At first glance, it might seem to blend in with the crowd of “regular” sports cars. But appearances are deceiving. The 4C Spider is a throwback, a reminder of what sports cars were, and arguably, what they should still be. This is a machine laser-focused on delivering elemental driving joy, pure and simple. If there’s a secondary objective, it’s to turn heads with its stunning beauty. In both missions, the 4C Spider succeeds spectacularly.
Stripped-Back and Sensational: The 4C Spider’s Core Philosophy
The cabin of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider immediately signals its intentions. The seats are incredibly lightweight, fixed-back composite buckets offering minimal adjustment – just fore and aft, with a slight recline. The steering is unassisted, a direct connection between you and the road. Starting the car is a deliberate process: select ‘1’ from the push-button transmission, then choose ‘M’ for manual paddle-shift mode or ‘A’ for automatic. The dual-clutch transmission is a marvel, mimicking the engagement of a manual but with lightning-fast shifts. In many ways, it enhances the driving experience beyond a traditional stick shift.
A blip of the throttle unleashes the 4C Spider’s soul. Equipped with the optional racing exhaust, the sound is less a refined purr and more a raw, guttural growl reminiscent of a Bugatti race bike or a purpose-built track weapon. It’s an aural assault that sets the tone for the entire driving experience.
More Than Just a Pretty Face: The 4C Spider’s Raw Performance
The Alfa Romeo 4C Spider possesses a personality unlike almost any other vehicle on the road. It’s unapologetically a bare-bones, mid-engine sports car, and it makes no apologies for it. While photos capture its undeniable beauty, they can be deceiving. You might mistake it for a smaller, more accessible Ferrari. In some aspects, there’s a hint of that Italian exoticism, but in spirit, it’s closer to a Lotus Exige – a purist performance machine stripped of excess.
The infotainment system is almost an afterthought. An optional Alpine unit is tacked onto the dash, and at idle, you can barely hear it. Once you’re moving, the exhaust note completely drowns it out. Forget about a backup camera or navigation system. Phone synching is possible, but practically useless when the engine is running – phone calls are simply lost in the mechanical symphony. Luxury features are limited to air conditioning, heat, and power windows. That’s essentially the extent of the “creature comforts.”
A Driving Machine, Pure and Simple: The 4C Spider on the Road
Don’t mistake the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider’s lack of luxury as a weakness. It’s the core of its appeal. This car is designed solely for driving. Behind the wheel, your focus is entirely consumed by the act of driving itself. Starting up the 4C Spider is an event. The engine erupts with an aggressive bark, followed by a thrilling after-burble on upshifts that’s guaranteed to grab attention. Plant your foot, and the sound transforms into a full-fledged race car roar, echoing the soundtrack of any serious racetrack. The 4C Spider is a magnet for attention, and most of it is positive. As they say, “If you don’t want people looking at you, don’t go out dressed that way.”
Parking maneuvers require a bit of muscle. The unassisted steering is heavy at a standstill, demanding you learn to initiate turns while rolling. However, once you’re in motion, the steering transforms into something sublime. The road feel is astonishingly direct, bordering on telepathic. You can feel every nuance of the road surface, from painted lane markers to the subtle scrub of the tires in corners. Under acceleration, the steering lightens as the front end lifts. During braking and cornering, you feel the weight shift forward. It’s a level of feedback that needs to be experienced to be truly appreciated; words simply fall short.
The Alfa Romeo 4C Spider isn’t a dual-personality car. It’s always “on,” always demanding your attention. However, it truly comes alive and sharpens its focus when you’re actively driving it, rather than just passively cruising. On the highway, during relaxed driving, it can feel restless, almost jittery. It reacts to every gust of wind, every road imperfection, requiring constant micro-adjustments. But then, if you need to make a sudden maneuver – a sharp turn for a missed exit, for example – the 4C Spider responds with laser-like precision and immediate obedience.
Around town, the same duality exists. It can feel a bit skittish and unsettled unless you drive with purpose and intent. Relax your grip, and the car seems to amplify every bump and imperfection in the road. But find a stretch of winding S-curves, summon your courage, and the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider transforms into a surgical instrument, carving through corners with breathtaking agility. It feels like the most responsive, sharp-handling road car imaginable. That being said, this is definitely not a grand tourer. Any stretch of poorly maintained pavement will send shivers down your spine. Railroad crossings feel like being thrown down stairs in a plastic bin. It’s a memorable sensation, but one you quickly learn to avoid. You soon develop a cautious crawl over truly rough patches. If there are traditional springs in the suspension, it’s hard to believe. The ride feels incredibly direct, almost as if the chassis is directly connected to the road surface.
Performance and Sound: An Unconventional Combination
The 4C Spider’s acceleration is somewhat unconventional. Left in ‘A’ for automatic mode, it moves with urgency and a constant barrage of noise. Every acceleration, every shift, sounds like a full-throttle race effort. In a way, you might as well floor it all the time, because discretion is simply not in the 4C Spider’s vocabulary. However, the actual thrust doesn’t always match the dramatic soundtrack. Roll onto the throttle from a standstill, and the engine wails and abruptly shifts to second, but the acceleration feels more firm than explosive. But keep your foot planted, and the speed builds rapidly, quickly reaching license-threatening levels. The 4C Spider’s performance delivery is most effective when you treat the throttle like an on/off switch: either full power or nothing.
The 1750cc turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, nestled just behind you, produces a modest “only” 237 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. But in a car weighing just 2,500 pounds, that’s more than enough for impressive performance figures. However, it lacks the brutal, instant punch of some competitors in the $70,000 price range, like the BMW M4 or Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. There is a launch control system that allows the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider to reach 60 mph in a claimed 4.1 seconds. A drive mode selector offers All-weather, Dynamic, Natural, and Racing settings, hinting at track potential that begs to be explored.
The slightly less explosive acceleration of the 4C Spider is, surprisingly, a virtue. Like a Mazda Miata, it’s a car that delivers immense driving enjoyment at legal speeds. The sensation of speed is heightened, making even moderate velocities feel exhilarating. When you do unleash its full potential, the feeling is akin to flying, and the adrenaline truly starts pumping. More than once, while enjoying a spirited drive, a glance at the digital speedometer revealed speeds that were, surprisingly, within legal limits.
Italian Craftsmanship and Attention to Detail
The Alfa Romeo 4C Spider is filled with subtle signs of Alfa Romeo’s passionate craftsmanship. The carbon fiber, used extensively throughout the car, is beautifully finished with a deep gloss. Even the windshield surround is crafted from carbon fiber. Compared to the BMW i8, which I had recently driven, the 4C Spider seems to celebrate its carbon fiber construction more overtly. The i8’s exposed carbon fiber had a more industrial, manufactured look in comparison. The seats and interior of the 4C Spider exude a tailored, handcrafted feel, setting a new standard for cars in this price range. The exterior also reveals numerous small details that contribute to its richness and visual appeal. Notice the carbon fiber trim pieces surrounding the lower intake vents on the sides. Or examine the purposeful front grille treatment closely to appreciate the meticulous attention to detail poured into the 4C Spider.
Embrace the Open Air: The Spider Experience
Inside, the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider is undeniably compact. It’s roughly the size of a Mazda Miata, but with a higher windshield header. There’s no center armrest, and finding a comfortable resting place for your left arm as the driver is a challenge. The top of the door sill worked for me (at 6 feet tall), but it is positioned quite high. Again, these minor inconveniences fade into insignificance when you consider that both hands are needed for steering and shifting, fully immersed in the driving experience. The open-top nature of this targa-style convertible is absolutely crucial to the 4C Spider experience. The wind management is surprisingly effective, even at highway speeds, making open-air driving genuinely enjoyable. If you’re considering a 4C, seriously consider the Spider. A fixed roof coupe would, in my opinion, diminish a significant part of what makes this car special.
The removable roof panel is lightweight and rolls up like a tent, storing in the rear trunk behind the engine, occupying about a third of the limited cargo space. This reinforces the 4C Spider’s identity as a fair-weather machine, or at least one capable of handling questionable weather with the top quickly deployable to get you home dry.
The test car was equipped with the optional racing exhaust. While intoxicating at times, it’s undeniably loud, especially on the highway. After an hour of highway driving, earplugs seemed like a reasonable consideration. Around town, the constant noise can become mentally fatiguing. If Alfa Romeo were to offer a more comfortable seat (with lumbar support at the very least), a backup camera, and a switch to modulate the exhaust note – similar to systems found in cars like the Jaguar F-Type – it would elevate the 4C Spider’s everyday usability significantly.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (now Stellantis) has curated a U.S. lineup known for its strong personalities. The Alfa Romeo 4C Spider fits perfectly within a family that includes Vipers, Hellcats, Jeeps, Ferraris, and the Fiat 124 Spider. These are vehicles that grab your attention and demand to be driven with enthusiasm. The 4C Spider is an ideal weekend toy and a thrilling track-day companion. Experience the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, and even if you don’t ultimately purchase one, you’ll leave with the satisfying realization that somewhere out there, someone is still building true, uncompromising sports cars.
2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider
Options:
- Rosso Alfa $1,500
- Convenience Package $1,800
- Carbon Fiber Cluster Bezel $300
- Racing Exhaust $500
- Xenon Headlamps $1,000
Price: $70,595 including destination
Likes:
- Exterior Design
- No Excuses Personality
Dislikes
- Driver’s Seat Comfort
- Highway Noise (From Optional Exhaust)
Photography by John Goreham
