Alfa Romeo 4C

The achingly beautiful Alfa 4C seen at the Geneva show is to spearhead Alfa Romeo's U.S. relaunch in 2012. Yeah, you're having flashbacks. "The achingly beautiful Alfa 8C is to spearhead Alfa's U.S. relaunch in 2009." Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne first announced in 2006 Alfa's return to the U.S. via Maserati dealerships, and that was supposed to happen by late 2007. Alfa has excuses for not making it back then, and by pausing while parent Fiat Auto cemented its relationship with Chrysler, Alfa now has access to a solid distribution system.

Alfa Romeo 4C Concept Front Three Quarters

Where the 8C was front-engined and a bit retro, the 4C is a defiantly modern mid-engine car. The Geneva concept car is what the real thing will look like. The concept has a carbon-fiber body, sitting on a carbon tub by race car maker Dallara. For cost reasons, the production car might have to switch to some metal panelwork-it depends on sales predictions, which determine how much to invest in tooling for metal.

Alfa people swear the European price will be under 50,000 euros (or U.S. $71,000), which is what they pay over there for a mid-range Audi TT.

Alfa Romeo 4C Concept Rear Three Quarters

Power comes from a 1.8-liter four, mid-mounted for agility. Alfa historians will delight at the 1750cc capacity, as used back in the '60s, but this one's no relic. It has a turbo and direct injection and makes more than 230 horsepower, fed through a six-speed twin-clutch automated manual transmission.

With a 2100-pound target weight and the strong traction bestowed by its weight distribution, 0-60-mph performance should be somewhere in the low-5-second range.