Alfa Romeo will return to the U.S. at the 2014 New York Auto Show

By Stephen Edelstein March 25, 2014

Alfa Romeo is back.

That’s what U.S. car enthusiasts have been waiting to hear since the storied Italian brand left our shores in 1995. It’s been plotting a return for roughly a decade, and it will finally make its comeback here at the 2014 New York Auto Show next month.

Alfa will show off the 4C sports car which, aside from a limited run of 8C Competizione models, will be its first officially-imported model since the Clinton administration when it goes on sale this June.

The 4C is the perfect car for Alfa Romeo to stage a comeback with. Small and mid-engined, with a lightweight carbon fiber monocoque chassis, it’s essentially a love letter to fans of driving pleasure.

The lightweight chassis is paired with a 1.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which produces 240 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Mated to the mandatory six-speed TCT dual-clutch transmission, the 4C will go from 0 to 62 mph in 4.5 seconds, and reach a top speed of 160 mph.

Anyone disappointed by the lack of a clutch pedal will be happy to know that the 4C doesn’t have a feel-sapping electronic power-steering system.

In fact, it has no power steering at all. That should provide the ultimate road feel, and given the 4C’s low curb weight (around 2,193 pounds in U.S. trim), it should also be manageable at parking lot speeds.

Alfa Romeo may also bring with it the 4C Spider convertible, which it unveiled earlier this month at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. However, the 4C Spider has not been confirmed for production.

Right now, Alfa Romeo only has two other models, the micro MiTo and the Giulietta, which shares its platform with the Dodge Dart and Jeep Cherokee.

Alfa Romeo was supposed to launch a new Spider sports car based on the nest Mazda MX-5 Miata, but that plan appears to be dead. There have also been rumors of an SUV based on the upcoming Maserati Levante.

Whatever its future plans, it will be good to have Alfa Romeo back on U.S. shores. The company’s return kicks off at the 2014 New York Auto Show, which opens April 16.

The hardtop 4C is expected to go on sale in June with a base price of $54,000.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

Cadillac aims to balance its lineup with a small electric SUV

Exterior of the Cadillac Optiq compact electric SUV.

Cadillac will add an entry-level electric SUV to its lineup in 2024.

The Cadillac Optiq is a "luxury compact SUV" slotting below the Lyriq in the brand's EV hierarchy. Photos released with the brief announcement show styling features that tie the Optiq to the larger Lyriq, such as split taillights, but other details won't be released until closer to the Optiq's launch.

Cars

Why your EV’s voltage matters, and what it means for your car’s charging speed

Front three-quarters view of a 2023 Kia EV6 GT in a desert setting.

Electric cars are slowly, but surely becoming commonplace, and they introduce a whole new generation of specifications that are worth caring about. Range is an obvious one -- but there's another metric that has a major impact on the overall experience of owning an electric car: voltage.

You'll often see the voltage of an electric car's battery pack touted in advertising. Hyundai, for instance, is proud of the 800 -volt battery in cars like the EV6 -- that's double the voltage of the 400V battery in the Tesla Model Y.

Cars

This Milwaukee tire inflator is 59% off in Amazon’s Black Friday Sale

Milwaukee M18 Inflator connected to a van tire.

One of the most rewarding parts of covering Black Friday deals is finding an essential tool at a truly low price that can help our readers get out of a jam. Such is the way with this Milwaukee M18 Inflator, which will inflate your tires to a precise PSI at the touch of a button. This device is perfect for people that already own one of Milwaukee's M18 tool batteries, which is what it uses, but (we'll soon see) it is also a fantastic entry point into using Milwaukee cordless power tools. Normally the Milwaukee M18 Inflator is $310, but you can get one now for $128. That's a savings of $182. Tap the button below to grab one quickly, while they're still in stock, or keep reading for why we like it.

Why you should buy the Milwaukee M18 Inflator
First and foremost, the Milwaukee M18 Inflator provides an easy way for you to inflate your tires in a pinch or awkward situation. It is particularly great for the tires of riding lawnmowers. They tend to be awkward to get to the gas station or other place where you traditionally inflate tires and would be a pain to hand inflate. Usage of the machine is simple. Insert an M18 Milwaukee battery, set the desired PSI for the deflated tire, connect to the tire and wait until it is done inflating. The Milwaukee M18 Inflator will stop pumping air automatically once the ideal PSI is achieved. When you're done, the Milwaukee M18 Inflator is small and easy to tuck away, being about the size of a lunchbox.