- PRESS RELEASE
Jun 11, 2013
Alfa Romeo 4C: the excellence of made in Italy
Alfa Romeo unveils the technological contents and construction secrets of the new 'compact supercar' that represents the sporting essence inherent in the 'Alfa Romeo DNA': performance and technical excellence aimed at maximum driving pleasure in complete safety combined with a breathtaking style.
The development of the Alfa Romeo 4C has made use of the best technical-industrial skills of the Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands. Thanks to the internal synergies of the Fiat - Chrysler Group, the cooperation between the two companies took place with a view to integrating the design functions of Alfa Romeo and those of Maserati's production. To this is added the technical and technological contribution of other world-leading Italian companies in the field of components for high-performance sports cars.
In particular, the Maserati plant guarantees the highest quality and attention to detail at an almost artisanal level. After all, the province of Modena is the land of the most famous 'sports cars' in the world where you can find everything you need to produce them: tradition, technology, know-how. But, above all, the passion, the same that animates the team that conceived, designed and made the Alfa Romeo 4C.
Hi-tech materials for a supercar weight/power ratio
- Extraordinary content and materials become an achievable desire.
- The most advanced mix of hi-tech materials with exceptional rigidity and strength characteristics combined with a very low specific gravity.
- Weight/power ratio of less than 4 kg/CV and total dry weight of only 895 kg.
- The carbon fiber monocoque weighs only 65 kg.
The Alfa Romeo 4C comes from a blank sheet and an idea. Or rather, the blank sheet was the indispensable prerequisite for the conception, development and realization of a new idea of a sports car: the 'accessible supercar'. In fact, the 4C was designed to be an exclusive car in content and performance, but also to become an achievable desire for Alfa Romeo enthusiasts around the world. Consequently, it had to be thought in terms of low production volumes, but in any case in the order of a few thousand cars a year, and therefore far from the practically artisanal productions typical of this segment.
So the blank sheet, initially without design and production constraints, was immediately enriched with new parameters, new challenges to face. The first is an essential reference: a supercar must have a weight/power ratio of less than 4 kg/hp.
To obtain it, Alfa Romeo engineers could focus on the number of horsepower - a lot of power, a lot of performance - but with consequent high purchase and management costs for a car that would thus become much less accessible. So they decided to go another way: reducing the weight of the car by choosing materials that combine lightness and efficiency and perfecting, sometimes even creating them, production processes that combine high technology and craftsmanship. In this way a total dry weight of only 895 kg has been achieved: it is a record that makes the 4C one of the lightest cars in the world - it weighs much less than a city car - and offers a weight/power ratio of less than 4 kg/hp.
To reach the ambitious goal, a lot of work has been done on the materials, choosing them for the specific gravity and for the chemical-physical, mechanical and technological properties that best respond to the requirements of performance and dynamic behavior of a sports car. That's when the 895 kg of weight is made up of mostly aluminum, steel, lightened SMC and carbon fiber.
Carbon fiber
The secret of the lightness and dynamic behavior of the Alfa Romeo 4C lies in the 10% of carbon used which, on the entire volume of the 4C, represents as much as 25%. Today, carbon fiber is the material that guarantees the best efficiency between weight and stiffness. For this reason it was chosen for the monocoque with structural function that constitutes the central load-bearing cell of the frame. It is a solution adopted by the most advanced supercars, which combines weight savings and excellent performance: in fact, the monocoque weighs only 65 kg.
Designed entirely by the team of Alfa Romeo specialists, the monocoque is produced by Adler Plastic through an innovative production process that brings together the state of the art in terms of manufacturing technologies with the manual skill typical of Italian artisans. In this way it was possible to bring the 'pre-preg' technology of Formula 1 derived into a series production so much so that Alfa Romeo is the only brand that can do it for a production cadence above 1,000 pieces per year.
The 'pre-preg' carbon fiber, processed with a vacuum bag (
vacuum bag) in an autoclave, made it possible to move from the design of the workpiece to the design of the material. The monocoque has thus reached levels of stress response and dynamic behavior unthinkable with the adoption of other technologies and other materials.
Pre-impregnated carbon fibers can be arranged in the optimal structural direction with respect to the forces, achieving a result that a metal material would only give with overlapping layers, differentiated thicknesses and added reinforcements.
In addition, autoclave polymerization - called "cocura" in technical terms - makes it possible to produce in a single process box structures that normally arise from multiple components, often of different materials, produced and assembled in several stages. It happens for example for the door post which, in the standard steel version, is composed of about 6 pieces joined together and to the body in several phases of the production process.
With the 'cocura', the door post is a single object, part of the carrier structure.
In fact, the carbon monocoscle is a monolith - and as such it reacts to external stresses, with a clear advantage in terms of dynamic behavior.
Aluminum
The adoption of materials with high torsional stiffness and low specific gravity characterizes all the structural parts of the Alfa Romeo 4C. As demonstrated by the use of aluminum for the roof reinforcement cage and the front and rear trellis. Also in this case, to reduce its weight and increase its stiffness, intervention was taken both on the design of the components and on the production process. In particular, the designers have created a new section for the struts that replaces the traditional rectangular section: in this way the trellises are lighter and at the same time safer. In addition, they are produced using the innovative 'Cobapress' process that combines the advantages of casting with those of forging under press that further compresses the aluminum alloy, closing any residual porosity. All this produces a lightening of the component to the advantage of its mechanical properties.
Finally, for welding, the continuous wire process with cold transfer of metal is used, which allows very precise welds, which do not deform the components and guarantee the optimal filling of any gaps.
Aluminum is also the protagonist in the front brake discs, of a hybrid type with aluminum bell and cast iron crown. This is a technology patented by SHW that guarantees up to 2 kg of weight reduction per disc, in addition to improved braking. In addition, sophisticated brushed surface finish technology increases grip and pedal feel, while the innovative disc-bell disconnection system ensures more comfortable and safe braking. In fact, the difference in thermal expansion between cast iron and aluminum is managed by special steel radial pegs that precisely transmit the braking motion.
SMC (Sheet Moulding Compound)
The SMC (Sheet Moulding Compound) was used for the bodywork, a low-density, high-strength composite that resulted in a 20% weight reduction compared to traditional steel sheet. The Alfa Romeo 4C is the first car in production with such a high percentage of low-density SMC: with only 1.5 g/cm³ it is a much lighter material than steel (~7.8 g/cm³) and aluminum (~2.7 g/cm³), as well as being more malleable. This feature allowed that freedom in terms of style and design necessary to create a true Alfa Romeo, recognizable at first glance. In addition, it is a stable material that, unlike aluminum, does not deform in case of small shocks and resists chemical and atmospheric agents very well. In addition, it disperses the noise very well, to the advantage of the acoustic comfort.
Finally, the low-density SMC ensures considerable functional integration between the parts, which leads to a decrease in components, operations and assembly time and therefore production costs.
PUR-RIM (injected polyurethane)
For the reasons aforementioned, PUR-RIM (injected polyurethane) for bumpers and fenders was also chosen. It is a lightweight material (- 20% compared to steel) suitable for creating even very complex design elements, such as a 4C fender, and with an optimal ratio of cost to production volumes.
Crystals
To obtain the lowest possible weight, no material, including glass, has been neglected. Specifically, lightening was achieved with a real "slenderness" of the silhouette: all the crystals are thinner, on average 10% compared to those normally adopted by a car, thus allowing an average weight reduction of 15%. In particular, the windshield is only 4 mm: it is an exceptional result especially when you consider the particularly aerodynamic shape, difficult to obtain with such a thin crystal.
Maserati plant in Modena, the home of the new Alfa Romeo supercar
- From the thirties to the present, the Trident's atelier has made real "masterpieces" of automotive engineering, road and racing models that have entered the myth.
- The minimum 'takt time' is 20 minutes against 50 seconds of 'mass production plants'.
- The 4C Workshops are born: for the production of the supercar specific areas have been set up for the 'squeeting' and 'assembly' operations while the 'testing' and 'finishing' areas are shared with Maserati production.
- Metrology room: over 400 measuring points to control the quality of the body.
- All 4Cs produced face a 40km road test in the hands of an experienced tester.
At the end of the 1930s all the production activities of the Brand of the Trident were transferred to the plant in Viale Ciro Menotti in Modena and in these seventy years from these lines came out real "masterpieces" of automotive engineering, road and racing models that have entered the myth.
Only in the last decade have they come out of these 'jewels' lines of technique and style - such as the Quattroporte, the Granturismo and the Grancabrio - and even more recently the fascinating Alfa Romeo 8C: it was the first time that the Maserati plant opened its doors to another brand, particularly related to the Trident for tradition and ambition.
Considering the historical and recent
background, it was therefore natural that the Fiat Group also looked to Modena for the series production of the Alfa Romeo 4C, a car that was born from the structure from the combination of the highest technology and the most scrupulous care that only the attention of man can guarantee. This is a construction philosophy that is also an integral part of the DNA of the Maserati plant in Modena.
Here innovation is first and foremost combined with the passion of people which translates into rigor and determination to do well. And it is precisely the hand of the operator that adds value to the product so much so that the operating methods of this plant move away from the logic of "mass production" to enter a decidedly more artisanal dimension. Suffice it to say that the minimum 'takt time' - the production speed necessary to guarantee delivery - is 20 minutes: a fact that makes you understand the peculiarity of this factory when compared to the "mass production plants" in which the shortest 'takt time' is around 50 seconds.
Clear at this point the fundamental role played by human talent understood as a wealth of technical skills and craftsmanship: they are all experienced operators, very young women and men - the average age is about 29 years and 60% have a diploma or a degree - and with an average experience of over 5 years on Maserati models. It is a real elite of production professionals who can operate with knowledge even on 40 different stations and carry out activities ranging from 20 to 40 minutes: this means being 'all-round' mechanics and mastering practically the entire production flow.
For the production of the Alfa Romeo supercar, the 4C Officine have been set up, or specific areas for the 'squeeting' and 'assembly' operations while the 'testing' and 'finishing' zones are shared with Maserati production.
Area of the 'squeege'
Here the primary structure of the 4C is assembled by first creating the "body in white" of the car and then putting on the first "skins". In particular, at station No. 10 of the line, the employees combine the carbon monocoque to the two chassis, front and rear, and the sleepers. It is an operation that is carried out manually, checking throughout the process the conformity of those parameters, such as the "angle torque" of the tightenings, which ensure that the connected elements remain perpetually united even in the most severe operating conditions.
Just beyond, in station 30, the car cell is closed by mounting the windshield ring and roof: the peculiarity of this operation lies in the special masks used to give the right geometry to the cabin cell. In addition, the joints are made of state-of-the-art polymeric chemical materials and reinforced by mechanical unions.
Metrological room
After the shelling phase, the 4C "body in white" faces quality control in the metrology room. Every day some sampled shells are the subject of a very high precision measurement: just think that the dedicated team checks over 400 measuring points to be sure that the body is perfect geometrically and dimensionally. In this process there is no room for tolerance: the measurements must give results in accordance with the design.
Painting and Assembly
The next step to the shell is painting, the only process that is carried out outside the Maserati plant. Once painted, the "body in white" falls back to "be spread" on the Alfa Romeo 4C. It should be emphasized that the new compact supercar is the only car to start its assembly path with a 'disassembly' operation. In fact, before assembling the internal components in station No. 1, we return to the primary structure of the car by removing the already painted "skins", such as hood and door, and structural parts, such as the rear trellises and the cathedral bar. Only now is it fastened to the swivel hook.
In this area, the professionalism of the person is at the center of the whole process. That's why the workstation was built around the gesture of the operators and the entire logistics system was organized: all the components necessary to produce the 4C arrive at the different stations in the right quantity, at the right place and at the right time. For example, in station 2 there are no unnecessary or unnatural movements: the car lifts or turns to always offer the side of the operations at the appropriate height. All this guarantees quality and gives people a way to exercise their manual skills to the fullest.
Even operations such as the assembly of crystals, which elsewhere are made by robots, in the Modena plant are entrusted to the care and attention of people: this is also an exclusive peculiarity of the 4C production process. Not only that. Many of the subassemblies of the car - for example headlights and dashboards - are assembled here in the factory unlike what happens in other industrial sites where they arrive already assembled from suppliers: these are all aspects that profoundly affect the perceived and real quality of the finished product.
Area testing, road testing and Finishing
Testing is the only phase of the production process entrusted to technology as it serves to objectify the quality of performance. In particular, the systems strictly control every detail of the car: from the optimal operation of the air conditioning to the setting of the mechanical components up to the dynamic behavior.
After passing the Testing area, all 4Cs produced face a 40km road test in the hands of an experienced test driver. This is also a typical practice of the most prestigious supercars. It should be emphasized that the team of test drivers is one of the flagships of the plant: all experienced drivers, passionate about sports driving and racing as well as impeccable professionals.
This almost reaches the end of the 4C production flow when the cars reach the Finishing area where they are subjected to the last tuning operations before moving on to commercial logistics to go to the market.
4C: Perfect synthesis between past and future of the Alfa Romeo brand
- Designed by the Alfa Romeo Style Center, the 4C immediately recalls some iconic traditional models that have left an important mark in the history of the Brand and that today all relive together in the new compact supercars: the "most Alfa of the Alfa".
- The Alfa Romeo 4C will be marketed during 2013 and will mark the return of the Italian brand to the United States, marking the beginning of Alfa Romeo's global growth plan.
The Alfa Romeo 4C is inspired by the brand's centuries-old tradition by projecting the authentic values of the brand into the future: Italian style, performance and technical excellence aimed at maximum driving pleasure in complete safety. In fact, the acronym '4C' recalls the great sporting tradition of Alfa Romeo - the acronyms 8C and 6C in the thirties and forties have distinguished the cars, competition and road, equipped with the powerful 'eight cylinders' and the innovative 'six cylinders' - confirming in its design and construction approach the objective of a weight / power ratio from an authentic
supercar, less than 4 kg / hp, but aiming more than the maximum power delivered, to the containment of weight to ensure maximum agility and the best performance.
Designed by Alfa Romeo engineers and produced in the Maserati plant in Modena, the fascinating '2-seater dry' coupe employs technologies and materials derived from the 8C Competition - carbon, aluminum, rear-wheel drive - and technologies specific to Alfa Romeo models currently on the market but profoundly evolved to maximize the sportiness of the new car. This is demonstrated by the new 1750 Turbo Petrol with direct injection and aluminum crankcase, the sophisticated "Alfa TCT" dry-dual-clutch automatic transmission and the Alfa D.N.A. selector with the unprecedented Race mode.
A length of about 4 meters and a wheelbase of less than 2.4 meters, on the one hand they highlight the compactness of the car, on the other hand they accentuate its characteristics of agility. In addition, the dynamic excellences of the Alfa Romeo 4C are confirmed by a weight/power ratio of less than 4 Kg/HP, it is a real '
supercar' value. This car therefore declares to "be Alpha" to the fullest confirming that sporting soul that on the mixed route, or better still on the track where the speed and transverse accelerations become more demanding, returns unique sensations to the driving.
The 'most Alfa of the Alfa'
Designed by the Alfa Romeo Style Center, the 4C immediately recalls some iconic traditional models that have left an important mark in the history of the Brand and that today all relive together in the new compact supercar: the "most Alfa of the Alfa".
For dimensional and layout analogies, one of the reference models was certainly the 33 Stradale of 1967, very elegant with its vertical opening doors - perhaps the most beautiful coupe of all time - a car that combined the extreme mechanical and functional requirements with an essential style that adequately 'dressed' the engine and chassis with unmistakably Alfa Romeo treatments.
The same research of the essentials has been applied to make one of the lightest cars in the world. A real 'race against weight' that has led to the formula to combine 'lightness and efficiency' by exploring new solutions and materials, as well as meticulous development work linked to very advanced technologies, in many cases derived from Formula 1 or the aeronautical sector.
The same combination 'Lightness & Efficiency' gave life to some unforgettable Alfa Romeos of the past such as the 1938 8C 2900 B Touring, entirely aluminum-bodied and unforgettable protagonist in Le Mans, or the 1952 1900 C52 'Sthe's 'Steering Wheel', a 230 km/h car that weighed only 760 kg.
With the fascinating 4C the Alfa Romeo brand also expresses its interpretation of 'Technology' – just like the 2010 Giulietta, the first car in the world to develop and adopt the TCT transmission – and 'Dynamism', a feature that immediately evokes the 2007 8C Competition, the fastest road Alfa Romeo in history and produced in a limited series of 500 units.
Today these values - Lightness & Efficiency, Italian Style, Technology and Dynamism - take shape in the new Alfa Romeo 4C, an uncompromising but accessible sports car, a technological and sensual supercar that offers precision, agility and performance. In short, a car to drive and enjoy - on the street and on the track - just as an Alfa Romeo must be: this is also a hallmark of a centuries-old brand that continues to be one of the most famous and appreciated ambassadors of the
made in Italy in the world.
Symbolism of a global brand that takes on the heart of the Premium market
In Europe, the first deliveries of the Alfa Romeo 4C are scheduled for the second half of September 2013 while the US version will be presented in Los Angeles in November 2013 and the first deliveries are expected by the end of the year. Simultaneously with its introduction to the North American market, the 4C will reach all major world markets. Prices in each market will be announced on the respective date of introduction and will take into account the competitive scenario. The annual availability of the Alfa Romeo 4C as a whole is limited to only 3,500 units - of which 1,000 are destined for Europe - due to the constraints linked to the technical and technological solutions adopted.
The 4C marks the start of Alfa Romeo's global growth plan which, along with future models, is proposed as a global brand competing in the heart of the Premium market. For this reason it is developing synergies with the Premium brands of the Fiat-Chrysler Group, in particular Maserati, to which it adds the strength of its history, its capacity for innovation and its worldwide reputation. In this sense, therefore, the 4C supercar is a product-symbol with a very high level of quality and technological refinement that embodies the deepest values of the Alfa Romeo brand.
