I am utterly infatuated with the Alfa Romeo 4C, it is an amazing, amazing machine. But when you use it as a car, it has a few (charming) failings.
Alfa Romeo loaned us a preproduction 2014-built 4C over the weekend for a video shoot up a Lime Rock Park with their Driver’s Club. During our five days with the car, we drove it in just about every situation you could imagine. We drove it through America’s densest city. We drove it on a race track. We drove it on wide country roads and twisty back roads. We parallel parked it. We connected our phones to it on bluetooth, which was probably the most challenging part of the whole weekend.
It’s hard not to go into the Alfa 4C and crack a smile, because it so clearly communicates an attitude of ‘who cares what the interior is like so long as the car drives well.’
The air con dials feel like they’re pulled from a Cozy Coupe, and the vent control switch feels like it was made from a melted-down bucket. The back of the adjustable steering column feels like it’s made out of recycled condoms.
I mean, the leather is nice, the steering wheel feels nice — everything that you have to use to enjoy really caning the car down a road is just right — but all the other little details are completely slapdash and thrown together.
That’s why the car’s interior is so funny. You can tell Alfa cares only about making a car you’ll love to drive, and all the other little details weren’t important. If you ask me, they have their priorities straight.
Photo Credits: Dave Burnett. Check out his site PUPPYKNUCKLES. It rules.
Contact the author at raphael@jalopnik.com.