We started the month of October this year with a story of an alleged 8:04 Nürburgring time for the Alfa Romeo 4C, at the time coming from an Italian car magazine. Now, some two and a bit weeks later, we get official confirmation of the run and the time, as well as the announcement that with the time, the 4C has set “a new all-time record for all cars with engines producing less than 250hp.”
We'll add that it matches the lap time of one of the Alfa's main rivals, the much heavier but also more powerful and luxurious 321hp (325PS) Porsche Cayman S, which was executed by famed German rally driver Walter Röhrl for Sport Auto magazine.
Journalist and Nordschleife expert Horst von Saurma drove the car when the lap-time was set on September 12, 2013.
Apparently, it was one of “countless tests” faced by the “Alfa Romeo supercar,” which ranged from extreme cold and hot weather testing in Sweden, Abu Dhabi and Arizona in the US to other track tests mostly organized around the historic Balocco test track.
As we’ve seen in the reviews posted so far, the 4C is a thoroughly unique offering on the market today, it has unassisted steering with great feel, a spritely yet competent chassis (a claimed maximum 1.1 lateral g), pretty styling bar the insect-like carbon headlights and ultra-low weight. Credit is due for the 236hp (240PS) 1.8-liter turbocharged engine, as well, and Alfa says its broad swath of torque (the 350 Nm it has on tap come between 2,100 and 4,000 rpm, while 80 percent of it is available from 1,800 rpm).
The final piece of Alfa’s ‘Ring puzzle are the tires, which are said to be special Pirelli P Zero Trofeos, the sportiest P Zeros there are, which were specifically designed to make the 4C competent on both the track and the twisty back road.
By Andrei Nedelea
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