Frankfurt Live: Alfa Romeo 4C Concept

Alfa Romeo showcased the beautiful 4C Concept car at this week's 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. The silver fox has already made its rounds on the internet and gossip columns, but in the flesh, it couldn't have wowed more. Not even the two booth babes standing evocatively around the car could peel our eyes away from the sweeping lines trademark Alfa "V" grille.

Whilst the car also appeared in Geneva earlier in the year, it came to Frankfurt with a different paint job, ditching the bright red and adding in a shiny silver finish. Whilst this doesn't epitomise Italian red, it does mean that the designer's lines could be appreciated more by the throng of journalists.

Set for sale next year, the 4C features a 200bhp plus engine for two people only. Consider this more a 1+1 (intended for the driver's pleasure, but feel free to bring along a significant other for the ride). With a wheelbase of less than 2.4 metres and thanks to a lightweight carbon fibre and aluminium frame weighing in at 850kg, the 1.7-litre turbocharged engine will help propel the 4C from 0-62mph in under 5 seconds which is really to be expected for something that looks like this.

Standard in the 4C will be Alfa's popular DNA setup which allows the driver to choose between varying modes of suspension feel, throttle response and handling, and which could turn the car from being an amiable city driver into a beast capable of eating up country roads. This I like mucho. There's not much more to say other than to cross our fingers and hope that Alfa speed up production of the 4C so we can at least see it on the road without delay by 2012. Take in the images below and start saving up, because you'll want to be buying this one.