Hopefully not too far off-topic for an F-Type forum, but the 4C is Alfa's attempt to enter the lower-end of the F-Type's price segment, one of the most vibrant areas in today's auto market. It's also been discussed sporadically on this forum.

I credit Alfa for taking some design risks with this car, including the Lotus-style minimalism and the 4cyl engine choice.

But I think this car looks better in photos than it does in video or in person. I like the lines a lot but after staring at it for a bit I realized that the aspect just looked off to me. The car has a very short wheelbase relative to its width.
I'm guessing they made it short to reduce weight, because cramming a mid-mounted engine into that wheelbase means the cabin and hoodline needed to be very short. As a result the windshield and nose angles make the car look really snubbed/squashed.

Thought i'd see what it'd look like if it were a bit longer, so i stretched it by 14%. I think it looks much better.

What do others think?

 

I do not like the 4C at all but agree it looks better stretched. However, I also think the F-Type would look better if the nose were extended. Sometimes it looks snub nosed to me and I would like it more elongated like the orginal E Type although perhaps not quite as long.

 

Nice job! It definitely looks significantly better stretched. But you neglected to do something with that unfortunate rear end.

Perhaps you have a future in Italy.

 

I like it compact better than stretched. Certain angles I like how the alfa looks but other angles don't do it for me. Like the lotus, it's one of those cars I think would be cool to own but probably won't actually get one.

 

personally i agree with you, but apparently it's ok these days to have some junk in the trunk!

 

Really? I think the overall length of the F-Type is OK, but I think the nose extends too far forward of the front wheels. Unfortunately, that's a necessity of the sloping nose design and nothing really can be done about it without altering the entire appearance of the car.

That's the only thing that I object to on the F-Type's design.

 

Really???

Isn't that a bit like arguing over the length of Megan Gale's eyelashes???




Oh, and I quite like the 4C as is. Did you see the new Spyder release this week. Even better than the coupe.

 

Well Oz, you do make a very good point on the F-Type. However, I do not like the 4C at all. The rear end destroys it for me, and the roadster didn't help that.

 

I think the spyder fixes that issue for the most part.

 

No one has a future in Italy! Europe is on the ropes (look at what the Swiss Bank did today, and their opinion on the €) and I have plenty of close friends there [Italy] continually lamenting how bad it is.

 

Same here. I'd like to test drive one. Unfortunately no Alfa dealer in Atlanta.

 

I have no opinion when it comes to the Alfa but I surely love the hood just as it is on the F-Type. In my humble opinion, the F-Type - even more so the Coupe - hits ALL the right notes, literally and figuratively.

 

Good timing, I actually just saw my first 4C in the wild about 10 minutes ago.

My opinion of the car has been a rollercoaster. Super excited when it was first revealed, then down a bit once the spider eyes were added, then back up when those were replaced, then back down with the added weight for the US model. The design has also worn out on me a bit. I walked around it at the LA Auto Show and it just wasn't what I desired anymore. The interior looked especially cheap.

However, it did look pretty good on the street mixed in with traffic. You can really see just how wide that car is. It gave it presence. I'm glad it is out there, just not sure I would get one anymore.

That stretching image does make it looks better in the profile. Seeing those pics side by side is oddly similar to the Exige and Venom GT side by side.

 

I really am not a fan of the looks of the 4C, but at the same time the 4C is a completely different car than that of the F type, so i forgive its styling due to the fact that its aimed 100% towards performance. I don't think anyone is buying this car for the looks so much as the performance and driving experience.

I was one of the test engineers for this vehicle, and I can tell you if you want a go cart for the street, this is the car for you.

 

Delete.