Affordable Dream Car: The Alfa Romeo 4C 50th Anniversary Spider is Imperfect Brilliance

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Today I am revisiting the Alfa Romeo 4C - a car I've driven before, but never really fell in love with. In this video I'm asking why it failed, and why it might deserve a second chance.

#AlfaRomeo #Alfa4C #turbo

Chapter Listing
0:00 Introduction
1:44 History of the 4C
5:11 What Went Wrong?
10:56 What's The 50th Anniversary?
15:38 Summary

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[JayEmmOnCars]

CarVertical: The History Checking Service
Use this link or code "JAYEMM" for a discount!

[williamegler]

My neighbor bought one of these and used it as his daily driver.
He is an orthodontist and has offices in Chicago and the suburbs that he commuted to.
When people asked him why does he drive a car like that which should be a weekend toy and will probably appreciate in value he said it's just a car I could die tomorrow and I'm going to enjoy it driving it!
He still owns it but now it's semi-retired and only driven on weekends and in good weather. It currently has 92, 000 miles on it.
When it was being used daily it was used in all weather including snow and did the mundane duties of a daily driver including going to the grocery store and picking up the dry cleaning.

[FoggyPigeon]

I kind of hope that the 4c doesn't become a classic, simply because I really really want one and I'll never be able to afford one if it does 😅.

[fteoOpty]

"Drop dead gorgeous!" is how one would describe this car. It is a breath of fresh air since the legendary Jaguar E-Type. What a design. And it's an Alfa.

[jamesroseby]

Just to add a word on Alfa reliability. I’ve owned my 4C Coupe for 7.5 years and not one thing has gone wrong. Even the battery is still strong. That’s in almost 50, 000km. I’ve also done a few suspension mods so she’s now solid at speed over uneven roads. I’ve just done 800km over the weekend. What a special thing it is to tour in. Yes, it is possible. It’s an amazing car. Enjoying your work, James. 👍

[wb]

As an early owner of the 4C now for 8 years in USA spec. Full leather interior plus AC was mandatory in US spec cars. The cars always been amazing. The “wayward handling” of early cars was a combination of 3 things. Crappy extremely stiff sidewall Pirelli P zero tires and damn near every car being delivered with out of spec wheel alignment and an aggressive setup on a short wheelbase. 3 months into ownership I changed the tires to Michelin super sports 10mm wider in front and back and got an alignment and all of those complaints vanished, the tire is just as grippy as the pirelli and has better shock absorption. If the car is still too twitchy at that point, the Alfa works shims can make it less aggressive but I love it just after those 2 changes. Short-wheelbase cars with very fast lock to lock steering are very skittish when there’s alignment or tire issues. I own a 4C and an LC500, both cars are special for different reasons. But the 4C is in my heart as the car I can never give up. It’s” great but “ terrible as a daily driver/ car for commuting. It’s simply amazing in making your day feel special, I don’t think any other car within several multiples of it’s price point can make you feel as special as the 4C does. The transmission /engine combo is great, just always drive it in manual mode because the shift programming sucks in automatic. My only other complaint is the shift paddles which there are aftermarket options for. The steering (once the alignment/tire issue is fixed) is something super unique and amazing about this car, and the brakes both in performance and feel are on another level. This car teaches you weight balance; Trail braking while turning in to get more weight over the front end, something you can feel in the steering is so satisfying when done right and terrifying when you don’t 😂. It punishes bad driving techniques. Some people get unnerved when they feel the front end “go light” at speed, that’s just the car communicating with you how much front end grip you actually have and that you’ll understeer in that moment if you do. Zero Nannie’s or buffers to cover up all the mechanical activity going on around you and I love it.

[VoloKinProject]

When it came out I thought to myself I'll buy one after 10 years. Red one with the carbon headlights. Well, 10 years later I still can't afford it.

[ianmackenzie-piee]

I have a 4c Spider. Had it for 4 years now. It has the Alfaworks steering geo and Stage 1 ECU (280bhp) upgrade. I absolutely love this car and these modifications really are worthwhile. Ok, it’s compromised with no storage space and an under par interior ( the Alpines is glorious) but the looks and driving experience more than make up for this. As a weekend tool it’s awesome. I have previously owned lots of previous Alfa’s including the glorious SZ, and this knocks spots off them. I have also owned a 355, the 4c is as quick, and a Cayman S, I just couldn’t learn to love it. Alfaworks look after it for me, it’s not expensive to run and extremely reliable. With the impending release of the already sold out 6c at the end of August ‘23, the lineup of 4, 6 &8c will all be future classics. The 8c already is, and how often do you see a 4c in the wild. The Lotus may be a more complete driver, and the Alpine shows what can be done with proper thought given to detail, but neither have the wow factor of the 4c for me.

[ProjectFairmont]

I have had 3 over the past 10 years. Every time I think I need something better, different, etc, I keep coming back. In terms of daily use; they are reliable, fun and comfortable. Plus they don’t ask much in return from space to park, fuel, and money. Added bonus, and similar to cars costing significantly more; it’s distinctive and rare.

[craigsignxmanbrown]

I bought one, coming up on 2 years of ownership and still love it. Is it perfect, no but I still look back at it every time I park up and haven’t regretted a moments time with it.

[guypepe]

Love mine and yes USA spec has leather wrapped steering wheel, dash & door cards. Took me a while to figure out why people in the UK bashed the interior so bad.

[shahulhusman]

This guy does the best reviews overall.. No gimmicks and not typical YouTuber fake laughs and giggles.. Says negatives.. And love the reg-reviews of older cars

[alfisti]

7:57 - Well the HVAC control actually dates back to the 1995 Punto (Tipo 176).
A bit different symbols, identical switches.

[TheFabulousTrackPack]

I think you’ve slightly missed the point - I have had the use of a 2016 for the past ten months, I adore it. Alfa Romeo had to use parts from the bin to build the cabin - because ALL THE MONEY went into the tub, you cannot do a carbon tub for £60k - it’s a bargain. Recasting the block in aluminium … ? 💰 I’m a racer, I look at things differently. For me it’s stunning, brilliant to drive. Oh, and yes: Alfaworks are excellent 👌

[davidparrishproductions]

JayEmm your videos are so good and entertaining— congrats on your success, and thanks for the hard work and great, funky content!

[alanconner]

I love my 2015 4C Spider Track Exhaust and Track Suspension! I bought it for peanuts here in the US used with 46K miles during covid. It was a glorious looking vehicle and very different than anything I'd ever owned. Truth be told it required some serious "Camp David Accord" negotiations with my wife Christy 😁The testdrive was amazing. It had a problem with the clutch right off the get go. The dealership cleared the codes and pledged to take care of any issue if it occurrd again. And occur it did. Right on the 4 hour drive home. Turned out to be a clutch pak needing replacement 😢 The independent dealership took care of it completely and as a bonus the Alfa dealer where it was serviced agreed to install the timing belt and water pump for no labor charge if I delivered them the OEM parts with the car. What a deal! Over the past few years I installed a few upgrades to include the Alfa blocks and dialed it in with the 2020 Lotus Evora alignment specs. That really changed the hedge attack personality! Its such a gem to drive and track now. I also yanked the seats out and installed my own custom lumbar pads and a heat element kit. This really made a difference on my 53 year old back. Very warm and cozy now. Thank you Jay for taking the time to review the 4C again. I love watching your videos! They are informative and enjoyable. You have really been a blessing especially when we were being locked down seven ways to Sunday during covid. Keep up the good work pal!

[TheYousken]

You’re my favourite car YouTuber. No BS, nonsense or fanfare. Genuine petrol head discussion and I love it. Every new upload is an instant click. Congrats on 300K. Hope your get your hands on an LFA someday (unless you already have?) Keep it up James!

[richardmortimer]

A 4C with 'Alfa Works' makeover is on my bucket list...

[jonathanstamp]

To steal a phrase from Clarkson’s Alfa Romeo Disco Volante piece, “As a tool for making you feel special, nothing comes close”… I drove one of these (rosso competizione coupe) for two years and did 15, 000miles in it - never once did it not feel like an event getting in and driving it…

[gvblack]

My first look at JayEmm. Fantastic presentation. Clear, precise, sound quality on audio well engineered. Good editing. JM witty and well versed on the subject. Best of all, he’s credible and likable! I’m binge watch more.💪