Alfa Romeo showed off the production version of its 4C mini supercar at the Geneva Motor Show this week in the form of a limited run ‘Launch Edition’. The car will be available in red or white and comes with a track-tuned suspension and exhaust. It’s quite lovely for the most part, but we really can’t get over those headlights. They’re horrible. Just look at them.
The headlights on the Alfa 4C concept were beautiful, and gave the car a business-like ‘I can see into your soul and your soul is telling me you want to buy a 4C’ kind of look. The headlights on this 4C Launch Edition, however, look like some sort of many-eyed spider beast.
The lights feature carbon fibre surrounds, but given the choice, we’d prefer the ordinary glass lenses that featured on the concept. We expect (and pray) aftermarket companies will offer more normal-looking headlamps.
Thankfully, the rest of the car is beautiful. The 4C Launch Edition will come in a choice of red or this lovely matt pearlescent ‘Carrara white’ finish with yet more carbon fibre treatment on the spoiler and wing mirrors. The 4C Launch Edition also gets coloured brake callipers, a rear aluminium diffuser with dark finishing plus burnished alloy wheels – 18 inches at the front and 19 inches at the rear.
The Alfa 4C Launch Edition has a bunch of tweaks beneath the surface, including a racing exhaust with BMC air cleaner, track-calibrated suspension and an anti-roll bar. In the cabin you get leather, fabric and alcantara sports seats and a numbered carbon badge you can show to people to prove it really is one of a very limited number of cars.
Power comes from a direct injection 1750 turbo petrol engine, which pumps 240hp through a twin clutch transmission. This facilitates a 0-62mph time of 4.5 seconds and a top speed of ‘more than’ 155mph.
Alfa will make 400 4C Launch Edition examples in Europe, Afrira and the Middle East, 500 in North America and another 100 in the rest of the world. Prices start at £52,000. Buy it. Just don’t look look directly at its headlights or it might break your heart.
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