sábado, abril 27, 2013

Alfa Romeo's 4C Design Flaw

Alfa Romeos are all about design. The words Ugly and Alfa Romeo are seldom said together in the same sentence, even if the cars have not been, say, perfect engineered machines. Particularly in recent years (before the latest offerings) owning an Alfa has not been exempt of ownership woes, but anything was forgivable if you could look back to your car after parking it and feel special about the way it looked. Alfa Romeos are emotional machines and yes, they have to be drop dead gorgeous

When I first laid eyes on the 4C concept car http://invinumveritas.blogspot.mx/2012/05/alfa-romeo-en-el-villa-deste-2012.html I felt really excited. I even wrote that I considered it one of the most beautiful cars in the history of Alfa Romeo. There was a gorgeous, nimble and hopefully great driver's car intended to revive the brand, and it was said it would become the great halo car that would herald a new dawn for the marque and the final, triumphant return to American shores, the greatest and most desirable car market in the planet. It would become stuff of poster dreams...


After all Alfa Romeos are beautiful machines, it's in their DNA right? To prove my point I here include some examples from past glories (and the very definition of Drop Dead Gorgeous):







Aren't they really beautiful dear reader? Lovable, curvy surfaces that speak the same language of the soul... I expected then that the new 4C wouldn't be anything but amazingly beautiful in the tradition of the great Alfas of the past. But alas there came the Geneva Show and along with it some heavy desappointment; the designers (with all due respect) managed to destroy the great looks of the concept car with minor but all important details, namely headlights and mirrors. How in heaven they managed to make the stunning car to the left something as awkward looking as the car on the right? I need someone to explain it to me (although I already know that they supposedly were designed that way to save weight, how much weight can you save doing that and at what cost?)


I know a concept car is a just that, a concept, something yet to be adapted to real life. But why if they kept most of the original design and proportions they made simple changes that destroyed the whole look and fluidness of the original car? The whole idea of evoking the delectable 1967 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale? Notice that the headlights on the concept are part of the line of the car. Now look to the production car and notice how that line abruptly dies on those terribly looking... things. The car on the left looks exotic. The one on the right... (sigh) does look good except for those headlights... 




Nevertheless the actual production car appears to be a real driver's car, with dynamic features that we all Alfisti expected for so long, and even dreamt about; particularly the carbon fiber and aluminum chassis, tuned suspension and engine, lightweight construction and rear wheel drive promise all the driving pleasures we all have been expecting from our beloved brand for so many years and something to feel proud of. I have to be thankful with Alfa Romeo for pushing ahead this design and paying the kind of attention the brand needed for so long, really designing something meaningful from the inside out and truly matching glorious history and modern day technology and paying tribute to all those Alfisti out there who supported the brand even at its darkest hours. I have to say these look quite promising:



And please don't get me wrong, even if I really dislike the headlights and mirrors the rest of the car is still very beautiful to look at (just see the following pic), and I still so badly want one... 


JUST PLEASE CHANGE THE HEADLIGHTS.

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