In our introductory story, we usually tell something about the history of a particular model. Who was the ancestor, how the life course went about etc. etc. etc. However, at the 4C this is not possible. The Alfa 4C can rightly be called a special Alfa. In all its facets, the 4C is a completely different car from what we are used to from Alfa.

We can only tell you something about the name. Alfa has a rich history with the 6C, 8C and 12C models. A first derivative of this illustrious history is the 2008 Alpha 8C. In 2014 the 4C was published. Particular detail is that we already heard about a rear wheel driven car equipped with a TBi engine in 2009. A year before the 100th anniversary of Alfa Romeo. It should have been a gift to its own brand at the time. Most people know how that turned out.

Let us not look to the past anymore, but rather into the future. Is Alfa going to make more of this kind of spectacle than? Well, no. Not so far known. There is talk of the arrival of a “6C”. But then as a more luxurious coupe in the nature of the GTV’s of yesteryear.

The 4C is a one of a kind car. There are hardly any competitors to point out. Actually only 1, the Lotus Elise and all the following variants on it including the Exige. Also lightweight, very tight steering hardcore drivers car. Also hardly equipped with any luxury, because luxury makes heavy. The only luxuries are the electric windows, mirrors and air conditioning. The rest is all functional and as light as possible.

The 4C could be a car that engineers would build if the marketing department had no say. It’s a 100% driver’s car. Even the passenger has little to say. The driver has more space at his disposal than the passenger and the passenger seat, for example, is not adjustable. Also consultation between driver and passenger is hardly possible. This is thanks to the exhaust system that is heard and the fact that the 240 standard horses present just behind the back are eager to be encouraged. Because what a 4C only wants is to go faster, faster and faster. What the 1750 TBi Euro 6 engine was capable of we have already learned from the Giulietta QV TCT. We only had the hope that the more open (read undempted) exhaust would let the engine breathe more freely. Nothing could be further from the truth. Both the standard result and the tuned result were exactly identical. But a 4C brings roughly 350 kg less into the scale. What that does to the driving characteristics of a car is almost unseeded. Everyone has their own frame of reference. The 4C will make you feel like you have to redefine it. Accelerate, brake, steer, the experience is everything in a 4C.

What can we do to improve to a 4C?

Well, in terms of torque and powerl gains it was quickly pretty clear. An improvement of about 40 Nm has quite an impact on a car of 900 kg. The power gain of 24 hp is also neat. Especially if one understands how it is realized. Only increasing the turbo pressure is not going to give the maximum power at a 4C. More needs to be done. The software is equipped with many calculation models for the exhaust gas temperature. When it reaches a certain value, the mixture is made considerably richer. As a result, lower power. In practice, this limit is already reached when you pull away from zero fully loaded and reach 5000 RPM in 4^th gear. In 5th and 6th this will even happen earlier in the RM range.. On a rolling road, it depends on how it is measured. A quick measurement (les then 10 sec.) is quite OK. With a slower measurement it’s not. Stock the limit is set at arounfd 800 degrees exhaust gas temperature. Every tuner knows that a turbo can easily handle 950 degrees. Because this is a calculation model, we keep some margin, just to be save. When the strategy becomes active under really tough conditions, the enrichment we apply is less strong than the factory does. If less good fuel is used, the system will detect pinging and retard the ignition. The calculation model is provided for this. If the ignition is corrected regularly, the exhaust gas temperature is calculated higher. In short, a beautiful model that you have to use as a tuner, provided you understand how and why.

Some other tricks

Another trick to generate more reliable power is to affect the operation of the electronic thermostat. Stock it is set in such a way that the engine settles around 92 degrees when driving slowly. That’s done purely for the emissions. Nice, but when one suddenly wants to accelerate fast, this happens with a rather hot engine. We have modified the strategy so that the desired engine temperature is around 80 degrees. In this way, the engine temperature is lower when you want to accelerate full throttle. Therefore it will generate more instant power compared to a hot engine

Be careful

We are convinced that there is a lot of tuning software that is not equipped with such well thought trough modifications. We also know that there are promises of very wild power gains. However, we are sure that they will not last. Every turbo knows its limit. For example we know for a fact that the catalytic convertor is a big restrictor in the exhaust system. Without it the power increases about 20 bhp.This means there a pretty high back pressure already. Pushing it further is therefor is not OK.
A short performance test on a rolling road is something completly different compared to much longer full throttle situations on the open road.

It’s a matter of finding the right balance between turbo pressure and the desired level of pre-ignition. Too much pressure gives a more retarded ignition timing and therefore less power instead of more. Too much retarded ignition also increases the exhaust temperature. There may even be some mis-firing.

Driveability

The next chapter is the 4C’s drivability. Even a car like the 4C should  be easy to maneuver through a village. On the open road it can be loose and on a mountain pass or circuit it has to excel. In case of rain and snow, however, it must be severely restrained. That’s possible, that’s why Alfa came up with the DNA+R system.
Unfortunately the Alfa engineers made no effort at all to vary the torque and power between the DNA+R modes. They are all the same 350 Nm/240 hp. We think it’s pretty irresponsible to drive with 350 Nm and 240 hp in the All weather “rain and snow” mode. The Alfa engineers did make different throttle responses in all DNA+R modes. But again not very well thought through. We have made them differently. Much more logical end therefor much better to handle.

Below is a table where it all can be clearly seen.

A, N, D and Race mode

We downtuned the All Weather mode a lot. 250 Nm and 190 hp is still enough to drive reasonably. But the throttle reaction isn’t that explosive anymore. You could almost call it lazy. But in really bad weather conditions, that’s kind a nice.

We have also de-tuned the Normal mode a little in terms of torque and power. 300 Nm and 220 hp in combination with a fine direct throttle reaction. Slightly less wild than standard but therefore much more finely dosable. Superb for “normal”driving.

The real tuned torque and power  is present in Dynamic and Race mode. The Race mode is the same as the Dynamic mode in terms of throttle response. The power and torque is also maximum. 390 Nm and 264 hp. Full potential in the Dynamic mode but still with an electronic safety net of the ESP/ABS etc. In the Race mode, all electronic safety nets are switched off. Stock, the situation was such that the engine was already full of torque and power at 60% gas paddle position. That’s not the case anymore after tuning. The 390 Nm’s and 264 hp’s are distributed over almost the full stroke of the gas paddle.

The all result in a more better dosability light weight road racer. The Alfa 4C Squadra stile.