Alfa 4C or new Corvette?

"Bluecold" (Bluecold) 10/10/2013 at 06:33 • Filed to: Corvette 4C 'murica 'talia

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They're about as expensive, are intended to do the exact same thing, yet could not be more different.

Take your pick.

minardi > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 07:01

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4C

The Stampi > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 07:09

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Alfa because Alfa Romeo.

Atomic Buffalo > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 07:17

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The Alfa 4C is available in the US? The webpage doesn't appear to be working...

Wait, is this it?

http://www.porsche.com/usa/models/cay…

PelicanHazard > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 07:19

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Corvette. If I had one of these cars, I'd do an awful lot of touring, and the larger Corvette seems like it'll handle that better.

Mattbob > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 07:23

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I refuse to make this choice. The corvette would probably be easier to own, and perhaps faster. The 4C is pure sex. I do like the looks of the corvette though. I guess it would depend on which one a 6'2" person fits in better.

duurtlang > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 07:25

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Alfa, without a doubt.

Other than the transmission and headlights the Alfa seems like the ultimate road going sports car. I've never really been interested in Corvettes of any generation. Too sterile and, sometimes, too gaudy.

Bluecold > Mattbob 10/10/2013 at 07:31

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I'm 6'5" and I could fit myself in a 1971 Alfa 2000 GTV. I have no doubt tall people could fit in a 4C.

Bluecold > Atomic Buffalo 10/10/2013 at 07:33

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By the time the C7 is available for a normal price without heinous dealer markup, the 4C will be too. Roughly.

Party-vi > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 07:36

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The Corvette has prettier eyes and a powerful lazy engine for longevity, but the Alfa is sexy.

Lease the Alfa; buy the Vette.

Milky > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 07:36

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No question

Ravey Mayvey Slurpee Surprise > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 07:42

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The 4C, because I'm an Alfa fanboy. I wouldn't be unhappy with the C7 (not even close, I'd be pretty ecstatic), but the 4C makes me drool.

Mattbob > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 07:46

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You aren't making this any easier! But yeah, it looks like tall people can fit in them. I need to get the nerve to go ask to sit in one. I like the corvette and all, but its so hard to get any better than a carbon fiber go-kart embodiment of sex.

Montalvo > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 07:49

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Well this is easy, I am going for the corvette. The alfa is damn fine but the new corvette has its act together inside and out. I'd rather also spend my cash on something with a greater support system as repairs on the alfa would most likely be costlier. Nice looks, great power amd burnouts that lasts for days no question about it I'd rather have that corvette in my garage.

anonsagainstanonymous > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 07:52

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Are those lamps the ones Alfa are going with? Can you order it with normal lamps? Google shows a few with normal lamps, but not sure if that's just the prototype. I never liked lamps like that. The rest of the car is gorgeous, though!

I think I'd have to go with the Alfa. It looks like a million dollars.

William Byrd > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 07:54

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Corvette because V8.

liquid_popcorn > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 07:58

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4C, no question.

Atomic Buffalo > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 07:59

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The C7 has already been delivered and is being driven on the street by people who didn't pay any dealer markup.

Now, if you insist on the antiquated method of walking into a dealership with no knowledge, patience, or spine, yeah, you're gonna pay more. But getting a C7 for a fair price isn't difficult.

Can you even order a 4C yet? Or is Lord Fiat still screwing with dealers?

Pitchblende > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 08:16

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The 4C, not through Corvette hate, I could just use more of the 4C in my normal travels.

davedave1111 > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 08:25

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There's no comparison between the two, in my book. One is a sports car, the other is a muscle car.

The whole point of a muscle car is that if you were to strip out the big engine, what you'd have left would be a basic cheap car. So you get a basic, cheap car with a serious dose of speed.

A sports car, on the other hand, is supposed to be a well-rounded package specifically designed for driving pleasure.

Chalk and cheese.

I'm not saying I can't imagine ever picking the Corvette if you offered me the choice of those two in various different scenarios, but that I can't imagine a scenario that would lead anyone to cross-shop the Alfa with the Corvette. You either live somewhere that a muscle car can be fun and a sports car won't be, in which case you get the Corvette, or you don't, in which case you get the Alfa.

BKRM3 > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 08:30

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4C every time. Already going to be 8 billion C7s in this world... Since neither would be a daily driver, dare to be different!

Just wear your damn mask... > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 08:34

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Corvette, for the simple reason that I have zero confidence that Alfa will return to the U.S., and of the off chance it does it won't stick around long, which means maintaining one will be an expensive and iffy proposition. Meanwhile, I can take my Corvette to any dealer while it is under warranty and to any of the myriad Corvette specialists around the country when it is not.

I love the 4c, but it loses this contest.

CKeffer > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 08:39

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Probably the Alfa,if only for the fact that 'vettes are super common around here and the Alfa is unique, plenty fast enough to keep me happy and has those exotic good looks.....even with the wonky headlights.

Leadbull > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 08:40

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It really depends on sitting height. I'm 6'3" and I do fine in small cars, but I know a 6'1" guy (taller sitting height) who experiences some problems.

Leadbull > Party-vi 10/10/2013 at 08:43

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But I suspect the Alfa will hold it's value better in the long run.

But I'd still go with the Vette.

Party-vi > Leadbull 10/10/2013 at 08:48

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Sure, after the turbo is replaced and the valves are adjusted :3

Jayhawk Jake > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 08:49

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That's a very tough choice.

Especially if you throw the Cayman in the mix...

I'm tempted to say Alfa because it's going to be rare, but in the Corvette you can get a manual, and the interior is much nicer. I'd probably buy the Alfa now, since it's value will probably stay pretty damn high, but pick up a used Corvette in a few years, once the Alfa is paid off.

Then again, if I was actually in this situation I would likely end up with the Corvette because 'murica

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 09:20

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CORVETTE. No questions asked for me. I've always ALWAYS been a diehard Corvette fan but even taking an unbiased look at the two cars, the Alfa's headlights make me want to stab out my own eyes, not just the cars.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > Just wear your damn mask... 10/10/2013 at 09:21

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I don't see why your local Fiat/Maserati dealer wouldn't be able to service it even if Alfa doesn't make a full comeback. Either way, it's going to be 5+ years (at least) before Alfa fully hangs up its attempts to be back in the US, so you'll be covered as far as the warranty goes.

EL_ULY > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 09:22

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or..

For around the same price? No brainier sir :]

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > davedave1111 10/10/2013 at 09:24

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The Corvette never has and never will be a Muscle Car.

The Corvette is and always has been, a sports car. Whether it succeeded at being a sports car in the past can certainly be up for debate. The Corvette is the best handling American car and if you let it lose on a track it will easily beat cars twice it's price. Not at a drag strip, at a road coarse. This is very well documented.

I'm not trying to knock the Alfa, despite it's (in my opinion) hideous front end but the Corvette is a better value. You'll get more for your $$ with a Vette every time.

I'm also not trying to compare the interior (which I hear is markedly improved in the new C7) to the Alfa, it's Italian - it's probably full of supple leather.

I just took huge offense to calling the Corvette a Muscle Car and not a Sports Car.

Wufnu > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/10/2013 at 09:37

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I'm with you, on this one. When a car is consistently laying down great numbers at respected tracks, it would be a crime to say it's not a sports car. Then again, it seems he's only using driving pleasure as a metric for what is or is not a sports car. I haven't driven a C7 so I can't comment on that. Every reviewer that's reviewed it has had great things to say, however.

BJ > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 09:41

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I won't pick until the following conditions are met:

Someone produces pictures of them side-by-side to compare length/width/height/relative sexy-ness (sexiness? hmmm)

Edmunds does a full suspension walkaround for both, like they did for the Lamborghini Aventador

highmodulus > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 09:49

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C7 all day long. The actual US Alfa is going to get will be much slower than the Euro stripped out specials they have been letting gullible journo's drive.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Wufnu 10/10/2013 at 09:53

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I can't say I've driven it but I can say that it's numbers, the G's it can pull and it's track time all prove that it is way more than a Muscle Car.

Just wear your damn mask... > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney 10/10/2013 at 09:53

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If I wanted uncertainty in my vehicle purchases, I'd buy an Elise. As much fun and (subjectively, I lust after Elises and Exiges) as sexy as the 4C, but for a fraction of the money and I know what I'm getting myself into.

MonkeePuzzle > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 10:14

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the alfa, with aftermarket headlights please, I have trypophobia

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 10:15

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Alfa, because dogmatic brand loyalty :)

Cherry_man1 > davedave1111 10/10/2013 at 10:22

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Then by your logic so would an Aston Martin with a V8 or anything with a front engine V8. Also go look at Corvette's American Le Mans Wins before you say muscle car vs sports car. Do research on both cars, find a place where they BOTH did laps and compare times and who drove them. The Vette has always been about being a sports car. Nothing more nothing less.

Scott Keelan > BKRM3 10/10/2013 at 10:27

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I agree with you on this one. I would choose the 4C as well.

dieselwagon > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 10:28

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I don't like Corvettes. I would take the Corvette all day. Alfa's are made for pretentious, shallow douche bags. Some of them do look pretty, but that's not enough for me.

davedave1111 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/10/2013 at 10:29

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"The Corvette never has and never will be a Muscle Car."

That's an interesting statement. How do you define a muscle car whilst excluding the Corvette?

To my mind the definition's pretty simple: it's a car that's over-engined, and so has much better straight-line capabilities than through the twisties.

Of course the current Corvette is much better than older ones through the twisties (in line with general improvements in the handling of every car on sale), but it's also quicker in a straight line - and no match for cars with really good handling. Which isn't a criticism, you understand. I completely agree with you about the whole point of a Corvette being great-value speed, but the consequence of that is that the Corvette's major strong-point is the engine, not the handling.

What I was really trying to say, though, is that I can't imagine ever cross-shopping the Alfa and the Corvette. If you live somewhere twisty, you'd buy the Alfa. If you live somewhere you get to open it up regularly, you'd buy the Corvette. And if you live somewhere with an even balance of twisties and open-it-up, you're keeping that driving mecca a closely guarded secret.

Bluecold > dieselwagon 10/10/2013 at 10:30

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Come on now that is now way of reasoning. FWIW the Corvette would seem to fit the 'pretentious shallow douchebag' bill much better. Where do you live? Where I live, douchebags drive Seats. Pretentious douchebags drive Audi.

Bruno Martini > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 10:33

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I absolutely love alfas. Absolutely adore them. However I have to say, this is tough. Its like saying which testicle you like best? Left or right? Well to me ill take the left in this case. The corvette every time for the price and performance.

davedave1111 > Cherry_man1 10/10/2013 at 10:37

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That's really weird. You replied before I finished posting that. Must be a new trick from Kinja :)

There's now quite a lot more to my post, but in general I can't argue with what you say about including some pretty expensive cars. I don't know enough about the Aston to say whether the engine was upgraded much more than everything else, but something like an AMG C-class definitely counts as a muscle car in my book.

Not sure why you said anything with a front-engined V8, though. A proper GT will have a big engine, but it'll be balanced by equal levels of comfort and luxury.

Of course, there's no hard line between one thing and another, though. But a car that's significantly imbalanced in favour of the engine is a muscle car is pretty simple. It's only when the imbalance is less that things become a bit greyer.

Scott Keelan > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 10:40

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Between the two I would probably choose the 4C but in reality I would probably walk past both of them and buy a Cayman instead.

I think the 4C looks great, it's lightweight, and has plenty of power but it doesn't come with a manual transmission.

dieselwagon > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 10:47

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I took this as a 'someone put a gun to your head and said choose', because neither really float my boat.

I'm based in and around London at the moment. I rarely ever see any Corvettes, saw a modified C4 about a week ago which was actually kind of cool. Alfa's are pretty common, not all that far from an Alfa dealership either.

The Corvette does indeed have its own image problems, as I said, I don't like Corvette usually. Alfa's seem to be exclusively driven by interior designers and estate agents. There's not much logic to any of this, it's all very subjective. There's a long list of cars pretentious douchebags drive, but in the case of Alfa's, the douchebags seem to be the majority, much like Audi now. Audi gets a pass because quattro, avant and awesome diesels. I wouldn't say no to a 159 wagon though.

Cloud81918 > davedave1111 10/10/2013 at 10:53

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I think the best description for a muscle car I've ever heard is "A big motor in a cheap car". Muscle cars were based cars that were offered for less money. Really the closest thing to a muscle car today is probably the hot hatch, no mater what the big three want you to think the SRT-4, Focus ST and the Cobalt SS have far more of the muscle car spirit than the current V8 offerings.

For instance the inexpensive Satellite with a big engine was transformed into the still kind of cheap Road Runner or the full trimmed GTX.

The Corvette is not a muscle car. It is a sports car. While it did some time as a disco-mobile that was really the only way it could survive, so it had to whore out for a bit. But to place it in the stick axled, cheap bodied muscle car pile is wrong.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > davedave1111 10/10/2013 at 10:54

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Because the Corvette was NEVER a muscle car. It was the 2nd (not the 1st like most believe) American Sports Car. It was the answer to the roadsters from Europe in post WWII America. A big block Chevelle is a Muscle Car, a Dodge Charger R/t is a Muscle Car, my Mercury Montego is even a Muscle Car, there was no intention what so ever to turn that car.

The Corvette has always had handling packages available and an emphasis on 50/50 wait balance for better handling. Did you know that they have had the transmission in the rear of the car for the Corvette to help with weight distribution for quite some time now?

Does it have more power than handling? Possibly. That just makes it not a great sports car, but it's still a sports car. Furthermore, the Corvette has a long history of road racing, and it was quite successful. You don't see too many big block Chevelle SS's out on road courses.

I disagree whole heartedly and will continue to until my last breath. The Corvette is a sports car, not a muscle car.

Cherry_man1 > davedave1111 10/10/2013 at 10:55

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Ok, I see where you are coming from with that. BUT! If you think bout this. Corvette was designed with the TRACK in mind the the DRAG STRIP unlike the GT500, which is just all around nutty. You must also look at BOSS302 LS if you are going to call muscle cars out. Also, the 4C is more then likely a mini Ferrari 430 Scuderia or 458 if you think about it both of those were track in mind cars. the true way to find out if one is muscle and one is sport. put them to the track and let them go wild.

Cloud81918 > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 10:57

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Some will flame me for saying this, but the Alfa needs to be about 10K less. It is a decent match up for some of the Lotus cars, but I don't think it has enough to keep them at bay.

And if you pit the 4c with the Vette, you are going to have a bad time.

The Vette has blossomed into a world beater. It always had the potential, but now the promised has been completely realized.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Cloud81918 10/10/2013 at 10:59

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Thanks for the backup Cloud!

AMC/Renauledge > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 11:10

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As much as I love American cars, at the end of the day, I'm a Pisces. So it has to be the Alfa.

davedave1111 > Cloud81918 10/10/2013 at 11:12

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"I think the best description for a muscle car I've ever heard is "A big motor in a cheap car". "

I'm not saying anything too different. Except that 'cheap' is often to do with the ratio between the price of a base model and the 'muscle' variant.

An E-Class isn't a cheap car, obviously, but to upgrade the whole car to the same level as the engine gets upgraded for the AMG versions would cost far, far more. It's hardly the only change, but definitely the major one.

I can't agree with you about hot hatches, because they're all about handling. If they don't handle well, they won't be forgiven - however powerful they are. Plus, the few with really powerful engines are actually ludicrously expensive. They certainly inhabit a similar sales niche, though. Cheap performance rather than cheap speed.

I don't think we actually disagree on what the Corvette is and can do, just on whether muscle cars can be and do those things or not. I certainly wasn't lumping it in with the Mustang - that's almost a muscle truck, really - but equally one can't deny that it has a six litre engine under the bonnet, and power levels of cars many times its price.

efme > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 11:37

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I think the 4C has a more unique character. I love the Corvette on paper and the interior... but it still screams Corvette. which = mid-life crisis.

Lorinserc230 > BKRM3 10/10/2013 at 12:00

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+1 I would much rather talk to people who come up to me saying 'ooo is that an alfa?' than 'nice corvette brah, she do burnouts?'

Cloud81918 > davedave1111 10/10/2013 at 12:10

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I agree that hot hatches offer handling as well, but it gets you into the common, cheap shell with power added world that Musclecars were all about. When most compare a hot hatch to its stable mates the first difference noted is the power. The ST Fiesta is nearly twice as expensive as the standard version here in the States, most of that money is in the engine; Which interestingly enough offers nearly twice the output. No doubt that the ST brings several other performance upgrade along with it, but when comparing the two, the power is the first point made.

I'll give you that hot hatches bring more than just power to the table, but I think they are much more in the muscle car vein than any other modern car, except for possibly the SRT-8 versions of the Challenger and 300C. These SRT versions are offered as nearly engine only upgrades.

AMG shoves some big time power in the Mercades lineup, but they are hardly every-man enough to be musclecars in my book. That said though, I can understand your point. While I don't agree on them being muscle cars I can't make a solid line denying that either. I just have a hard time seeing them defined as such.

But if we do move the definition to cover the AMG and M style cars, where does that leave the Corvette. Which you said was a muscle car. Going back to it, you find a purpose built chassis and a bespoke body. underneath you find a refined sportscar suspension, not just a stiffened version of something offered on a lesser car. So again how can this be a muscle car as a muscle car is a hotted up version of a more common car?

You make the point of power "overpowering" the other aspects of the car, but I have to disagree in the case of the Corvette. The car is extremely well balanced. Does it makes sales on its power, sure. So does the Bugatti, is it now a muscle car? I think not.

To wrap it up the Muscle car definition I think must involve an inexpensive and common chassis and added power. I can see the statement that AMG hotted up cars could be considered musclecars, but I think the Corvette clearly can not be. It is a serious focused sports car. One that can run with the best.

King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider > Bluecold 10/10/2013 at 13:30

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The 4C is a future collectors item; the C7 is beautiful and angry and a better daily driver.

I think the choice is clear: Morgan 3 Wheeler.

mr. idk > davedave1111 10/10/2013 at 15:52

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your argument was invalid when you referred to the corvette as a muscle car

Atomic Buffalo > Cloud81918 10/10/2013 at 20:30

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To be fair, it's lightweight and carbon fibrous, and people will pay a premium for that. And it's an Alfa, and people will pay a premium for that. I don't know why, but there it is.

As for the Vette, not everybody wants one. Go figure :)

Cloud81918 > Atomic Buffalo 10/10/2013 at 22:16

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Sure not everyone wants a Vette. But that is the gorilla in the market this thing is going into. This car is competing against the Vette, used Lotus Elise/Exige and Evoras, and Porches. I think this car has a lot to prove and I think a lower price would lower the bar people expect it to clear.

If the 4C was a Ferrari it could be 20-30K more expensive and it would be perfect. In fact I think Ferrari needs to get an entry level car into the US market. But I think think it is 10K too much for an Alfa in the US. Sure they'll sell, but I think the penetration will suffer. They could have dropped some of the expensive carbon fiber production costs and added a bit of weight.

At the price point and the performance, I'm not sure they'll get the market that can support this car in the US. I hope they do well, but I'm just not sure. I think not being a bit cheaper and not selling out of Fiat dealerships will really hurt the car.

I think the car being cross shopped with used Lotus products is really going to kill it as Lotus has a very well respected name in the US. And as much is this car is like a little Ferrari, without the horse on the side it won't see the same reception.

I think the Evora is showing that a lightweight mid-engine exotic under 100K can be a slow seller in the US. Not being track toy enough makes the Evora hard to move. I just see this car having an even harder time here. I really want to be wrong.

Atomic Buffalo > Cloud81918 10/10/2013 at 23:44

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I think you underestimate the power of the Alfa Romeo brand.

It's Italian. It's been unobtainable for many years. It's prompted much Top Gear fawning. It rolls off the tongue.

The 4C itself checks some compelling boxes. Sexy, mid-engine, carbon fiber, light and agile. Plus anything that's a viably-sporting alternative to the same-old-same-old Porsche-or-Corvette will get some traction.

The last thing they need to do is make it less expensive. Anything under $55K will be seen as cheap.

The Evora is a bigger heavier softer Lotus, i.e. a lesser Lotus for more money. That's why it's struggling, not because the small-mid-engine market is soft.

And they're not trying to sell Corvette quantities: just one 4C for every 20-30 Vettes. They'll have no trouble finding 1200 takers for the first 2-3 years, and they can special-edition their way through another three.

Of course none of those buyers will be middle-class hyper-rational Jalops with theoretical access to used Lotuses and Caymans and magic-wrenched MkI MR2s. Instead they'll be enthusiastic gentlemen with a toy fund and a need to be different.

Cloud81918 > Atomic Buffalo 10/11/2013 at 13:16

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You contradict yourself a bit. While Alfa may be pained for, it is pained for by Jalops; The folks that go out of their way to watch UK Top Gear. Well heeled Jalops bought many of the Lotus-y Loti and those sold because there was nothing on the market comparable, new or used.

Many of the Elises sold the first year were also bought as toys by folks with money but not auto-geek people. They were re-sold rather quickly as the buyers didn't enjoy them. The first 2 Lotus Elise I ever saw for sale were cars bought buy husbands for their wives. I'm guessing the buyers thought cute and "Miata-like" when they first saw them, not go cart with doors.

I see the market much smaller for the 4C than you do. I think the market is well to do Jalop-type people. The question then is will they go to an unproven car when another platform is already available and can be had for less? That is the person you are selling to after the newness wears off.

I hope Alfa sells every one it can make and that it does well. I'm just worried that they won't. The first year, sure they'll move them. But it is the second year sales will determine its fate.

Atomic Buffalo > Cloud81918 10/11/2013 at 13:34

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Well, there is the possibility that the Alfa will turn out to be too hardcore to commute in or not well-sorted enough to be a proper sports car... or just flat-out flaky. In other words, it could suck. Then all bets are off.

But if it's a good sports car, 1200 a year is easy pickings for a mid-engined non-Fiat Italian, even (especially?) at a Fiat dealer. Yeah, some people will buy it who shouldn't, but the $60K two-seat market's actually not crowded for such a modest sales target.

And I think you oversell the Elise comparison. If the Alfa is nothing but a track car, yeah it'll fail. I've not seen it that way. I've seen it as an Italian exotic MR2, or a non-German first-gen Cayman (you know, before the sheet metal went steroidal). I bet others will too. Is that nuts?

Cloud81918 > Atomic Buffalo 10/11/2013 at 16:29

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Last I saw the 4c will not be sold at Fiat dealerships, but rather Maserati dealerships. That is part of my point. This cuts the number of dealers dramatically and puts this in the showrooms where it may be the cheapest car in the house.

I use the Elise comparison because there isn't much to compare this car against. The Cayman and Boxter are close, but they lack exoticness in design. Neither look at weight like the 4C does. Certainly this is more baby Ferarri when compared to the bare Lotus cars. But it it is the closest common competitor. I see the 4C as an Elise-sized Evora.

The Lotus and Alfa will have similar dealership setups, Alfas possibly being worse than Lotus since as I said before the last thing I heard is the car will not be at Fiat dealerships. If the car was sold at Fiat and Dodge dealerships, it would do far better.

Atomic Buffalo > Cloud81918 10/11/2013 at 17:34

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Yes, 1200 Alfas sold through only 67 dealers means they have to average almost 18 Alfas per dealer per year, or 3 cars every quarter. It's odd being the cheap car in the showroom... but I bet they gain as much as they lose on snob appeal. The Alfa 4C forums won't have any posts about the offputting prospect of sitting next to poor people and drinking instant coffee.

I use the Porsche comparison because, no offense to Lotus, the Alfa plays the Baby Ferrari card and that means snob appeal. It's a Cayman alternative for people who want a toy but aren't track hounds. And it's pretty, not merely unusual. Sorry, Lotus.

In fact, you're making me look into the 4C more, and I'm starting to think maybe this CTS-V wagon isn't going to last me through the decade after all....

Cloud81918 > Atomic Buffalo 10/11/2013 at 17:39

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That's great as I want these things to sell. I have nothing against Alfa or the car. I want them to be all over.

Atomic Buffalo > Atomic Buffalo 10/11/2013 at 19:48

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(Stupid math. That's 3 cars every two months, not every quarter.)

parksluke88 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/14/2013 at 20:03

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I applaud you for this comment. I cant stand to hear people call a 'Vette a muscle car.

wkiernan > Just wear your damn mask... 10/14/2013 at 21:22

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I have a hierarchy of fantasy lottery jackpots and their corresponding sportscar purchases, and the amount that corresponds to an Elise is half again higher than the one that goes with a Vette. Maybe I should even adjust that ratio up. With the advent of the C7, used C6 prices certainly have to drop abruptly. In turn this shoves used C5s, which are quite respectable Grand Tourers in my estimation, down into my budget's neighborhood.

atfsgeoff > Bluecold 10/15/2013 at 01:37

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These are two different types of cars. That said, Corvette every time. I think the 4C is a particularly ugly Alfa, which means it has no redeeming qualities.

quattrofl > Bluecold 10/15/2013 at 08:31

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4C all day - much better looking imho

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > parksluke88 10/15/2013 at 09:11

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Thank you!