A good business plan to follow is the Lotus business plan. Build a car that just a few people want and most people don't want at all. Thankfully, Alfa Romeo has decided to fill this niche as well. Good idea.
The 4C Spider is basically the 4C, which means it's a lightweight carbon fiber car with great looks and a turbocharged 1750 cc engine out back making 237 horsepower.
Instead of the regular 4C, the Spider has two roofs: A hard carbon fiber panel and a soft top which can be stored on board. That leads one to believe that the carbon panel cannot be stowed within the confines of the car.
Hey, at least it has one roof that you can put in the car.
It also has a center exit exhaust instead of the duals that are on the coupe. But don't worry, it has the same wonderful sound as the regular 4C. It also has a new design for the wheels. Other than that, it's the 4C you know and love or hate.
The main problem with the 4C isn't the 4C at all, it's the Lotus Elise. See, people were clamoring for a stripped down sports car in the mid 2000s, so Lotus sent one over: The Elise. It sold really well for about two years and then the sales slowed a lot.
Why?
I postulate that every person who wanted a lightweight sports car bought one when the Elise came to market. It's not a huge market, they were all satiated. So does the 4C appeal beyond the core buyer of the Elise? I guess we'll have to wait and see. I sure hope it does, because it's all sorts of gorgeous.
Photo Credits: Freddy Hernandez