By Design: Alfa Romeo 4C

10. Much of the body surfacing is given to bands that delineate specific recessed areas, such as the rear side scoops and the license-plate alcove. 11. The bulge along the lower body appears to be gratuitous, vulnerable to damage and with no real function. 12. The oversize wheels recapitulate a five-hole design scheme that looked great on the Alfa 156 fourteen years ago but seems overdone and forced in this iteration. 13. There are many subtle surface changes on the car. This radius, where the sloping hood changes to the essentially vertical fascia, provides a nice highlight leading to the door band outlining the rear fender scoop. 14. The side bulge aligns with a similar, equally vulnerable bulge on the lower front corners of the body. REAR VIEW 15. The outside mirrors are slim but give a wide field of view, the main nacelle suspended like a jet engine under a wing. Dynamic and apparently efficient. 16. Black chimneys alongside the backlight allow engine heat to escape upward and accommodate a fairly abrupt change of surface. 17. Taillight size and placement are excellent, cutting off the corners of the tail. The graphic treatment of the lens is a bit too Buck Rogers, but it's distinctive. 18. The flat band theme shows up again on the deck lid, which swoops upward in the middle to augment the spoiler effect. 19. This little lid is a puzzlement, too small for most suitcases, inset into a massive rear panel that one supposes must move to give access to the mid-mounted, transverse engine. 20. Exhaust pipes tucked into air outlets look very serious, as though fitted to a racing car. One hopes that the 4C will be used for amateur racing, as the 1950s Giuliettas were.