Last week I had a chance to climb into the cockpit of a 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C and my time spent piloting the Chrysler Group’s newest sports car was nothing short of mind blowing. Although the 4C “only” has 237 horsepower and 258lb-ft of torque, a curb weight of just over 2,100 pounds affords it incredible acceleration and even more incredible braking. This is a 4-cylinder sports car that will comfortably go toe to toe with some of the biggest names in the high performance world and best of all, thanks to the relationship between Fiat SpA and the Chrysler Group – this new Italian sports car is technically part of the Mopar family.
With all of that in mind, we want to know what you think of the new Alfa Romeo 4C. It is expensive, with an MSRP starting in the $60k range, but it easily competes with a great many sports cars that cost the same…if not more. Do you like the styling? If not, do the incredible performance capabilities make up for the unusual looks? Keep in mind, the 4C has established itself as one of the fastest 4-cylinder cars in the world with a time of just 8 minutes and 4 seconds – beating a long list of far more powerful performance cars from around the world.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
