2016 Alfa Romeo 4C

Highlights

• Beautiful lightweight carbon fibre-tubbed sports car

• One owner from new

• £20k of upgrades to mechanics and audio

• Reported to be producing 337bhp

• Recent £2,500 service 

Overview

This featherweight — as in 900ish kg —Alfa 4C is a supremely desirable example of what everyone who has eyes would call an astonishingly beautiful car. And its one owner has embarked upon a series of mechanical improvements to make the driving experience as good as its looks would suggest. 

But don’t worry, this Alfa’s good looks haven’t been interfered with at all: it looks just like a standard-issue 4C. That is until you turn it on, plant your right foot, and take to the twisty stuff. The custom carbon fibre aero pack helps glue the car to the road, while the upgraded turbo, ECU, and exhaust all help to give this lightweight sportscar even more of a shove than normal. And a few tweaks to the suspension help it in the corners, too. 

The interior is improved by a custom-built sound system, including that all-important Bluetooth wizardry to avoid sullying the cabin with unsightly cables. And you can enjoy the immense satisfaction that comes from being able to see the carbon-fibre structure every time you get in and out. Most people will never know this feeling, driving their ironclad behemoths unaware of the joys of lightweight motoring. 

So if you’re looking for a 4C but want yours to be better than everyone else’s, then this is the car for you. It manages to walk that fine line between originality and modification, resulting in what seems to us like the best of both worlds. 

History and documentation

• Registered 31 Mar 2016

• Collection of invoices with services as follows: Jan 2017 @ 12,943 miles, Sep 2017 @ 25,951 miles, Apr 2019 @ 34,904 miles, Jul 2020 @ 39,857 miles, Jan 2021 @ 40,911 miles, Oct 2022 @ 45,653 miles, Jul 2023 @ 48,327 miles, Nov 2024 @ 51,376 miles 

• Original Alfa Romeo presentation boxes and warranty booklet

• The seller estimates the cost of the improvements to have totalled around £20,000

• Two keys

• Meta tracker fitted, with annual subscription

• Current MOT with no advisories expires 21 Nov 2025

• V5 present in owner’s name

• Only one owner from new

• HPI clear

• London ULEZ compliant

Interior

• The carbon fibre body tub can be seen on the sills and beneath the carpets 

• Half leather bucket seats, with deep bolsters for excellent lateral support

• Slight wear and creasing to the driver’s seat bolster

• Alfa Romeo emblem embroidered on the headrests

• Manual seat adjusters

• 4C branded footwell mats 

• Slight wear to the driver’s footwell mat beneath the pedals

• Door cards very sleek and tidy, with leather handles 

• Transmission control buttons on the centre console

• Leather-trimmed handbrake lever

• Steering wheel

• Gearshift paddles 

• Aluminium pedals

• Air conditioning

• The dashboard plastics are very smart, with no cracks or UV damage that we could see

• Digital instrument cluster

• Custom built audio system with subwoofer and Alpine head unit

• Bluetooth connectivity

• Fully carpeted boot at the rear

Exterior

• Sitting low and poised, this 4C looks great from any angle

• The flamboyantly styled bodywork makes it stand out from the crowd

• Finished in a fetching shade of red — always a good choice on an Alfa

• Other than a few small chips and scratches, the paint is in good general condition

• Composite body panels free from significant damage that we could see

• Small areas of paint flaking around the front grilles

• The front end, bonnet, roof, wheel arches, and doors have all been protected by self-healing body wrap, installed by Topaz Detailing 

• 18-inch alloy wheels

• Michelin Pilot Sport tyres, said to be nearly new

• There are some scuffs to the wheel rims

• Carbon front light clusters 

• Hella headlamps

• The engine is proudly on display below the rear windscreen

• The seller informs us that custom-built carbon fibre spoiler plates and splitters have been fitted, significantly increasing the downforce generated 

• Twin exhaust tips

Mechanical

• 1,742 cc four-cylinder engine 

• Originally produced 234 bhp and 258 lb ft

• The power output is now reported to be 337 bhp courtesy of an Alfa Works stage 2 tune

• 0-62 mph now ‘well below four seconds’, according to the vendor

• Six-speed semi-automatic transmission

• Rear-wheel drive

• Engine bay very clean and tidy, seen through the rear windscreen

• The underside of the car looks clean, if a little scratched

• In Nov 2024 the car received a major service, including engine oil and filter changes, brake fluid, brake calliper replacement, and front discs and pads, both front lower wishbone ball joints replaced, all costing nearly £2,500

• An air conditioning hose was repaired in Jun 2021 

• The cambelt and auxiliary belt were replaced in Jan 2021, and an upgraded clutch installed

• In Jul 2020 the turbocharger was upgraded to a Hybrid Turbo, and a stage 2 ECU was fitted

• The seller also tells us that modified suspension arms and wishbone spacers have been fitted, along with a sports exhaust 

• No mechanical issues reported 

Summary

Although it still seems like such a recent car, we dearly wish the world was still capable of producing beautiful things like the 4C. And with such well-thought-out performance improvements, this is surely the one to have. 

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in London.