Alfa Romeo 4C Spider review - Performance and 0-60 time
Removeable roof and styling tweaks add a new layer to the 4C's appeal, but the Spider is still a flawed sports car
Performance and 0-60 time
Bar the odd fraction, the Spider is as impressively quick as the Coupe. With the aid of Launch Control, the Spider will punch from 0-62mph in a claimed 4.5sec and hit a 160mph top speed. That’s serious performance from a sub-2-litre, sub-£50k sports car.
With 237bhp, the engine is at least effective and imbues the little Alfa with decent, if noticeably turbocharged, pace in a straight line. Immersed in the process of threading the car down the road, you don’t really notice the questionable sound it’s making, so it’s less of a problem. That sound is undeniably characterful and effective, albeit in a rather hot hatchy manner that’s at odds with the 4C’s baby-exotic brief and obvious class.
Still, on the right road with its dual-clutch, paddle-fed motor hauling back the high numbers on a ball of relentless, on-boost energy, the 4C Spider can be a lot of fun. The healthy reserves of mid-range torque, coupled to the swift reflexes of the TCT transmission, make for near-seamless surges of acceleration that soon see you travelling at three-figure speeds between the corners.
