This is the long awaited Alfa Romeo 4C Concept, a compact sportscar from the Italian car maker. The car has made its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show, and is now waiting for its faith to be decided.

The Alfa 4C has all the classic recipe of a proper sportscar. Thrilling looks, two-seater layout, rear wheel drive, it’s got it all. If only it had a bigger engine you could call it a supercar!

The 4C is powered by a 4 cylinder 1750 Turbo Petrol engine which offers over 200 HP. It is economical and provides satisfactory performance with a 0 to 100 Km/h of under 5 seconds and top speed of 250 km/h. Thanks t its compact size and dry weight of just 850 kg, the car has a weight/power ratio of less than 4 kg/HP.

Think of this car as a Lotus Elise but with in a more fancy dress!

The Alfa Romeo 4C Concept has an extremely sophisticated suspension layout (high quadrilateral at the front, MacPherson at the rear) to ensure maximum agility and road handling. This solution, along with the rear-wheel drive and the extraordinary weight/power ratio, ensures Alfa Romeo driving pleasure, enhanced even further by the weight distribution (40% on the front axle and 60% on the rear axle). The Concept takes up the Brand’s sporting tradition, taking us back to its origins, when agility and the weight/power ratio were the keys to a successful racing vehicle, and combining these aspects with the Alfa Romeos which take to the road every day.

Alfa says they are going to introduce a production version of this car in 2012.