Romeo, Wherefore Art Thou Alfa 4C Spider?

It’s been a little over a year since Alfa Romeo’s diminutive 4C Concept made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, but Autocar Magazine can only now confirm that the two-door coupé will give birth to a convertible version around a year after its initial launch. Ka-boom.

We should get our first glimpse of the mid-engined 4C in production form next summer, before it goes on sale in 2014. Mauro Pierallini, head of the 4C project and Fiat’s European head of engineering, has said that the 4C will weigh 900kg and cost less than £45,000. Power will be courtesy of a new 1,750cc turbocharged four-cylinder with nearly 300bhp. If Pierallini is true to his word, and we hope he stays faithful, the tiny two-seater should rocket to 62mph in less than five seconds and stretch its legs beyond 160mph.

After outsourcing the design of the concept’s carbon tub to Dallara - an Italian chassis manufacturer who’ve worked with Bugatti and KTM - Alfa’s decided to engineer the production car in-house. It’ll retain a carbon-fibre tub (and mate it with aluminium subframes), but the concept’s carbon body panels will be replaced with sheet-moulded composites to cut down on costs.

Alongside the forthcoming 159-replacing Giulia saloon, the 4C will spearhead Alfa’s return to North America. Pierallini has said that the carmaker expects to built 18,000 4Cs - a fifth of which are likely to end up stateside.

The best news of all? Although the production spec' 4C won't be identical to the concept, it'll come damn close.