Is the Alfa Romeo 4C the Perfect Used Sports Car?
The 2015-2020 Alfa Romeo 4C was rebellious. The automaker hadn’t sold a car in the U.S. for 20 years, and the 4C broke this trend. Moreover, the 2015 flagship car for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was the oversized, overpowered Challenger Hellcat. But the Alfa Romeo 4C–technically in the same sportscar coupe segment–was the complete opposite: a nimble 2,500-pound turbocharged Italian exotic. These two facts make the Alfa Romeo 4C one of the most compelling used sports cars on the market. And because it seems to be nearing peak depreciation, it might make an excellent investment.
Is the Alfa Romeo 4C fast?
The Alfa Romeo 4C had a 1.75-liter turbocharged I4 that only made 237 horsepower. In the lightweight mid-engine coupe, that was enough power for a claimed 4.5-second 0-60 mph time. But the Alfa Romeo 4C’s specialty is cornering.
One Italian automotive journalist demonstrated that by redlining the Alfa Romeo 4C’s engine, you could accelerate to 60 mph in just 4.2 seconds. With its 707 horsepower, the Challenger Hellcat takes 3.7 seconds to reach 60 mph. The 4C has a good acceleration time for a vehicle not engineered for drag racing.
What the Alfa Romeo 4C lacks in brute force, it makes up for in agility. By building it around a supercar-like carbon fiber tub and using aluminum for the subframe and engine, FCA reduced the vehicle’s weight to 2,500 pounds. This has a significant impact on its cornering and braking.
The Alfa Romeo 4C lapped the Top Gear test track in one minute and 24.8 seconds. That makes it faster than the Subaru Impreza WRX STI, Porsche Boxster Spider, Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, Honda Civic Type R (FK8 generation), BMW Z4 M, Ford Focus RS Mk III, C6 Corvette, Lamborghini Gallardo, and the Lotus Exige S.
Is the Alfa Romeo 4C discontinued?
Alfa Romeo had to stop importing the 4C coupe to the U.S. after the 2018 model year for regulatory reasons. Convertible/Spider imports continued until the 2020 model year, then Stellantis discontinued the vehicle altogether.
The Alfa Romeo was always a niche sports car, competing with the likes of the Lotus Elise. It was a two-seater, and its mid-engine design further limited cabin space. Alfa Romeo didn’t even install power steering in the lightweight vehicle.
The 4C was a good track car and a great entry-level exotic Italian sports car. But to be blunt, most of the fans who wanted one bought one early. Alfa Romeo sold 663 in 2015 alone. But by 2020, this number fell to 99.
How much does an Alfa 4C cost?
In 2015, you could spend $53k-$68k on an Alfa Romeo 4C. Today, they continue to resell for about the same price ($52-$58k). Considering how few were built, the Alfa Romeo 4C might make a great investment.
The website CarGurus points out that the average used 2015-2017 Alfa Romeo 4C was listed for around $60k as recently as 2022. A few recent sales have dropped their average resale value to about $55k. With a more modern infotainment system and lower mileage, the average 2017-2020 Alfa Romeo 4C is currently listed between $65k and $67k.
On Cars and Bids, five Alfa Romeo 4Cs have re-sold for under $49k, some going for just $42k. The yellow 2015 Spider (pictured) sold for $44,500. There are outliers too. In July 2022, a 2020 4C Spider special edition (the 33 Stradale Tributo) sold for $117,000. In April 2023, a 2017 4C with over 100k miles sold for $34,850.
You can get an Alfa Romeo 4C for Lotus prices. It offers comparable performance to a Lotus, plus the cool factor of an Italian exotic car. The 4C will always be considered one of the final great Alfas of the internal combustion era, and with so few made, it might be an excellent investment.
Next, find out how much supercar you can actually get for $100k or see how the Alfa Romeo 4C measures up to modern supercar standards in the video below:
