Alfa Romeo 4C Spider

The Alfa Romeo 4C was met with a lot of excitement from automotive journalists. The lightweight Italian sports car takes a philosophy similar to Lotus and provides a fun to drive machine.

The mid-engined machine is perfect for a weekend drive on a twisty road. In Spider form it gives the driver a chance to enjoy the elements while taking a spirited ride.

For more about the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, including specs and pricing, click past the jump (or scroll down if you came directly to the full article).

The 4C Spider may only offer 237 horsepower from a turbocharged 1.7-liter four cylinder engine, but it only weighs 2,487. This good power-to-weight ratio helps the sports car be able to launch from 0-60 mph in just 4.1 seconds. Flat out the Spider can hit a top speed of 160 mph.

So, just how much will this open-aired Italian fun cost you? The 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider starts at sixty-three thousand nine hundred dollars and will be available in dealerships this summer.

That starting price is the same as the Porsche Boxster S. The S may be slower to 60 mph with a time of 4.8 seconds (although Porsche is known for being very conservative with their 0-60 mph times), but it has a higher top speed of 173 mph.

Now the question is how many will go for the less practical Alfa (it hardly has any trunk space, but the Boxster has two of them). The Boxster S is a roadster that can be driven just about everyday, but the 4C Spider is more of a weekend fun car. The Alfa Romeo may get noticed more often, but its success will depend on how many people want the focused machine versus a more versatile driver.

Which would you choose? The Alfa Romeo 4C Spider or the Porsche Boxster S?