Alfa Romeo 4C Officially Priced From $54,000

Alfa Romeo’s upcoming lightweight sports car will cost $54,000, pricing it $1,400 above a Porsche Cayman excluding delivery charges.

The retail price was confirmed to AutoGuide by Alfa Romeo PR rep Davide Kluzer.

When it arrives in the second quarter of 2014, the 4C will mark Alfa Romeo’s return to North America. That doesn’t mean you can expect to see Chrysler dealers out with tack hammers and ladders, adding Alfa signs to their stores. Instead, the company’s sole product will sell through Maserati dealers despite the car’s relatively low price.

First shown during the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, the car us powered by a 1.75-liter turbocharged four cylinder engine mounted behind the seats. Considering the fact that Alfa bills it as a supercar, the mill’s 240-hp output might seem low. Don’t be fooled. Alfa is still playing coy with curb weights, but it tips the scales at about 2,080 lbs. From the outset, Alfa made it clear that the 4C will lean on light weight for performance rather than excessive power. A carbon fiber monocoque chassis helps keep the weight low while Alfa boasts a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in 4.5 seconds.

Official fuel consumption figures haven’t been announced yet, but the car is also expected to be unusually efficient for a performance vehicle.