The Automobiliac Proposes Vol. # 6: Alfa 4C
Friday, June 17, 2011 at 1:59PM Normally I wouldn't waste my energy trying to fix the 4C. I think the car is an aesthetic travesty. But given that Alfa plans to launch their return to North America with a production version of the show car, I thought I would do my best to polish a turd. Is the result something I love? No. But I tried my best to improve the proportions and form where it really bothered me. I made the headlight clusters lower and smaller, and reprofiled the "jaw-line" of the car to make the front end more vertical and have less of a jutting "chin." Since the car is mid-engined, I kept the air intake in the rear fender, but made it much less dramatic. Hopefully, the eye will be more drawn to the clean fender side surfacing than the flashy, overdone detailing they had. The last big change I made was the the C pillar. I feel like the current car's pillar is way too thick and is like a mashup of an Enzo and a Lotus. I tried to give it more of a Cayman or 458 Italia feel. I don't think the result of my efforts is a beautiful car, but I hope it's a little more refined and understated than what Alfa did. Please Alfa, if you are launching with the 4C, please redesign it!
4C, Alfa Romeo, Design, styling in The Automobiliac Proposes
Reader Comments (14)
I think it looks pretty good next to a T33.
http://www.insideline.com/alfa-romeo/4c/alfa-romeo-4c-meets-33-stradale.html
Really?? It's like putting Lady Gaga next to Grace Kelly, man.
I don't think the design would look to bad if you completely removed the side scoop and blended the curves of the front and rear fenders together as they are.
That side scoop really sucks and ruins an otherwise ok shape. No its not in the same league as the T33/2 Stradale!!
Tom Tanner/Scale Designs/Ferrari Expo 2012-Chicago March 2012
It's a forlorn quest. The best intentions....etc. Either way it's no uglier than the recent Ferraris.
It looks good! Some how it looks less like it's sitting on it's haunches, and more like it leaning forward to peer at something. Yours also looks lighter and more nimble but also like the wheels are to big. I think they should be smaller, or the car should be a bit lower to keep the proportions smooth. I dig it! How do you do all of that? What program?
You're right, trying to ameliorate a travesty is exceedingly difficult. I think you've made the design a little more lithe and eager but as Tommy says its no Stradale. I suspect fatuous, ill thought out and blanket safety prescriptions are to be thanked for the loose and horrible shapes we're seeing today but the 4C is a particularly clumsy and fussily detailed response.
I like what Alfa did just fine. Although it does look a little too much like a Lotus.
It looks like you took a an Evora and made it into an Elise!
Well the side scoop looks very Japanese. The reason: it looks out of place and from another car. The Japanese take parts of other companies cars and put them all together to make one generic looking car, thus most Japanese cars don't flow together very well. The same goes for this alfa 4C as it just does not flow together very well...... Maybe FIAT are on to something since everyone buys the Japanese stuff even if it looks as boring as hell. The Honda S2000 is a perfect example. It looks so generic you can't even see any marks to identify its marque!!! Its a shame since the car has a nice motor/chassis.
Tom Tanner/Scale Designs/Ferrari Expo 2012-Chicago March 2012
Like I said fellas, polishing a turd. In my opinion, Alfa shouldn't even be making a mid-engined car. But hey who am I?
Really?? It's like putting Lady Gaga next to Grace Kelly, man.
lol.. ouch! i know you got a thing for grace kelly though ;-)
Alfa's retarded design is HORRENDOUS-----what you have done is tried to do plastic surgery on roadkill to make it look less run over. I am not exactly sure if you have made it worse or better----but i can't blame you in any way----as your starting substrate was quite badly damaged to begin with.
I actually like the alfa 4c. What you did with it is doing it more "ready to launch" looking, more dynamic, while the original had more curves. Being in fact a small car (it is a two seater coupe) I believe they intentionally did it like this to be easy to differentiate from other cars which have a look closer of what you proposed. Everybody is free to like or dislike it, but saying it looks bad is a nonsense.
Also, your air intakes are noticeably smaller, not so much an issue at speed but maybe a heat issue at low speeds/idle?
Anyway, in my opinion a combination of the Alfa front + your sides and rear, would be perfect.