Reaction to the Production-ready Alfa 4C

As longtime readers know, I really hated the Alfa Romeo 4C in its concept car format. I thought it was overwrought, badly proportioned, and the matte red finish really did it no favors. Now that the production version has been unveiled, I think they really improved the design a lot.  Although I am not in love with it, I think it's a truly nice looking sportscar.  I was hoping it would come in cheaper than 60,000 Euros, but I suppose it makes sense. Just one question though:  WTF is up with that side mirror protruding from the door?? That has got to be THE worst execution of a mirror I have ever seen!

The Automobiliac Proposes: Vol. #2

The Automobiliac has a soft spot for all Alfa Romeos.  And this being the 100th anniversary of the marque makes it a very special year indeed.  You can look forward to some extensive coverage of the "Alfa Century" celebration in June down in Frederick, Maryland.  In order to commemorate this momentous milestone, Alfa commissioned Pininfarina to create a sexy roadster for the Geneva auto show.  The car, idiotically named the 2uettottanta, combining the words "Duetto" and "Ottanta" is a sensational design.  From every angle it really captures the feel of what a two seat open-top sports car should look like.  Best of all it shows a sense of balance, proportion, and above all restraint which I find wholly lacking from most new car designs.  Just witness the overcooked Porsche 918 concept at the same show or the truly horrific Hispano Suiza and you'll see what I mean.  And yet, I can't get myself to like the front end of the Alfa as much as the rest of the car.  I find the application of the alfa grille a little heavy, and I think the LED strip headlights, while minimalist and clean in execution, are just not giving the car a real personality from the front view.  So I chose to address this topic with this issue of "The Automobiliac Proposes."  Given the car's reference to the Duetto, which was one of Pininfarina's best designs for Alfa, and certainly its best selling (since it morphed into the Spider and was produced for decades), I decided that the front end needed to reference the original Duetto more directly.  Therefore, I transformed the LED headlights into turn signals and added headlights above them which are encased beneath a flush mounted transparent cover.  I think this feature is an improvement because it balances out the massive Alfa Grille and adds more of a "face" to the front end of the car.  Plus the way the headlights and hood line interact is very reminiscent of the Duetto.  Sure, my proposal is more conventional and less daring than what Pininfarina designed, but I happen to like it.  See the full album of stunning pictures of the real car here.