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Alfa Romeo pulled up stakes here in the U.S. in 1995. You're forgiven if you'd resigned yourself to thinking that outside your classic car shows in the summertime, the only other Alfas you'd ever see were Chrysler test mules wearing the brand's Italian bodywork. And even as the rumormill spun into a frenzy the last several years, Alfa's so-called "return" consisted of the hen's-tooth rare 8C Competizione.

Well, the wait's over. Finally.

This is the 2014 Alfa Romeo 4C, which will debut next month in Geneva, and in your local Alfa Romeo showroom (how weird does that sound?) later this year. It's exotic, mid-engined, and very sexy. If you're gonna stage a comeback, may as well make a splash.

Other than a few photos, Alfa's keeping the particulars mostly close to the vest. The main bullet points include a carbon fiber chassis, a direct-injected 1.75-liter four-cylinder turbo (a derivative of the 233-hp unit used in the Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde), Alfa's TCT dual-clutch gearbox, and an "Alfa DNA" selector (i.e. Alfa's Manettino) that allows the driver to choose between Dynamic, Natural, All Weather, and Race driving modes.

The two-seat 4C is compact and designed to optimize power-to-weight. The measurements given are 13 feet long, 78 inches wide, 46 inches tall, and a wheelbase of just under 8 feet. To give you a basis for comparison, that's about a foot longer than a Chevy Spark, 23 inches wider, 15 inches shorter, with a wheelbase that's s smidge longer.

It's beautiful, it'll be quick, and most importantly, it ought to be raucous fun. Alfa's back. For real.

This Is A Developing Story

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