The Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe is still at least a year away from production. The upcoming 4C will debut on the market as a mid-engine bruiser with a 0-60 sprint of around 4.5 seconds and curb weight of under 2,000 pounds, making it a contender to Porsche 911 buyers.

Alfa Romeo handed over early development and then brought in-house, Dallara, the company behind carbon fiber components found in the Alfa Romeo 8C, Bugatti Veyron and the KTM X-Bow.

Now, rumor has it that the Italian automaker could be stepping up the competition to Porsche with a drophead version of the 4C.

If the rumor is true, we won’t see the 4C convertible until 2014 at the earliest.