Alfa Romeo 4C revealed ahead of Geneva debut

First pictures and details of the production-ready Alfa Romeo 4C sports car ahead of its public debut at the Geneva Auto Show next month.

The design, penned by the Alfa Romeo Style Center, draws its inspiration from the classic 33 Stradale of 1967. The car at 4 metres long and 2 metres wide it’s around the same size as the Lotus Elise while the 4C is nearly identical to the award-winning concept that bowed in Geneva two years ago.

Underpinning the Alfa Romeo 4C is a carbon fiber monocoque chassis, this helps cut weight.

It's powered by what Alfa calls “an evolution of the engine in the Quadrifoglio Verde version of the Giulietta” - expect base models to pack about 240 horsepower and more expensive trim levels to bump that number up to 270 hp through a six-speed dual-clutch transmission . A 0-62mph time of around 4.5sec has been mooted, with a top speed limited to 155mph.

The car will be offered in a number of countries around the world, including several European nations and Japan.