Alfa Romeo 4C is an all-star automobile

Alfa Romeo 4C is an all-star automobile

As the Alfa Romeo 4C arrives in more markets, it is quickly adding more accolades to the long list of those it has already picked up since its European rollout.

As the first cars arrive in dealerships across the Atlantic, the new Alfa Romeo 4C has been named "Best Performance and Luxury Car to Buy" by Motor Authority and has picked up the "Sports Car" award in the Popular Mechanics 2014 Car Awards. It was also named a 2015 Automobile "All-Star", an accolade that reflects what the magazine's enthusiast readers most want to drive.

Meanwhile the 4C has been named "Performance Car of the Year" and "Continental Irish Sports / Performance Car of the Year" by the two motoring writers' associations in Ireland, the Association of Professional Motoring Press and Irish Motoring Writers' Association respectively.

According to Motor Authority's Editor Nelson Ireson: "The Alfa Romeo 4C is beautiful, exotic and incredibly fun to drive. It's also tremendous value, offering a carbon fibre monocoque chassis and turbocharged mid-engine layout around the price of much more ordinary sports cars.

AUTOMOBILE Editor in Chief Mike Floyd said: "The Alfa Romeo 4C reminds you what it means to drive with joy, with purpose. The 4C is an unapologetic sports car and a spectacular looking one at that  that's why it's a 2015 AUTOMOBILE All-Star."

Inspired by the 1967 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, designed and engineered in Italy and built at the Maserati plant in Modena, the mid-engined 4C boasts astonishing handling characteristics. By combining an all-aluminium, 240hp 1750 Turbo Petrol engine with the latest-generation "Alfa TCT" dry twin clutch transmission, the Alfa Romeo 4C can accelerate to 62mph in just 4.5 seconds and top 160mph. However it still returns 41.5mpg and its CO2 emissions are just 157g/km.

by: Becca Chaplin