With featherweight construction and manual steering, the Alfa Romeo 4C looks like a fun machine to pack with a weekend’s worth of stuff and take to the Blue Ridge Mountains, Poconos, canyons, or whichever geographical area near you has good roads. However, you may have to be careful if you want to bring a passenger because this carbon fiber machine might not be ready for them despite having a passenger seat with a seat belt and everything. Let me explain.
Just like pickup trucks, each and every passenger car sold in America has a payload capacity for the total permissible weight of passengers and luggage. Usually, a combination of structural and tire loading factors are the reasons behind these limits, and they normally accept a sensible amount of occupants and cargo. A new Camry is rated to carry 1,131 pounds, and even my Porsche Boxster is rated to carry 529 pounds, according to the sticker under the frunk lid.
In contrast, the Alfa Romeo 4C has a comically low payload capacity. For instance, this 2015 4C Launch Edition sold on Bring A Trailer displays a payload capacity of just 344 pounds and the later Spider models with the removable roof shave that absurdly low figure down further.
According to the CDC, the weight of an average American man aged 20 or older is 199.8 pounds, and the weight of an average American woman aged 20 or older is 170.8 pounds. Split the difference, and you end up with an average weight of 185.3 pounds. No big deal, right? Well, if you were to put two people of average weight in an Alfa Romeo 4C, they’d handily exceed the maximum payload capacity before we even split hairs about belt buckles and wallet construction adding ounces here and there.
Now, this seems somewhat important considering that the Alfa Romeo 4C has a carbon fiber tub, and unlike steel, carbon fiber doesn’t exactly have shape memory. You know how when you gently bend a piece of steel with your hands, it bounces back? This fancy plastic doesn’t exactly do that. Considering that replacing the carbon fiber tub — the structure that everything else bolts onto — would likely total the car, I certainly don’t feel like risking finding out the hard way what happens when you overload the vehicle for a prolonged amount of time.
Granted, it’s unlikely that any structural issues will arise from fitting two average-weight occupants into an Alfa Romeo 4C and continuing normal operation, but a more pertinent matter is liability should things go wrong. If anyone is injured in the event of a crash, insurers might cock an eyebrow if the car’s payload capacity was exceeded.
In any case, should you wish to take an Alfa Romeo 4C out for a weekend getaway with a passenger, you might want to use a scale as part of the planning process. Oh, and even if you don’t have access to an Alfa Romeo 4C, it probably isn’t a bad idea to take a quick look at the sticker on your vehicle detailing exactly how many pounds it can carry.
(Photo credits: Alfa Romeo, Bring A Trailer)
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You can’t even make fat jokes here, because 172 pounds is not a fat person, unless they’re *really* short.
I’m not fat at a little above that as a 5’11” male (though I could lose maybe 10 pounds), but that’s the average for a woman. I never dated a woman even close to that heavy, though I do tend to like them short.
You can’t even make fat jokes here, because 172 pounds is not a fat person, unless they’re *really* short.
I’m not fat at a little above that as a 5’11” male (though I could lose maybe 10 pounds), but that’s the average for a woman. I never dated a woman even close to that heavy, though I do tend to like them short.
Fixed it.
172lb is fat to you? Not slightly heavy, not a little overweight, but actually fat?
Fixed it.
172lb is fat to you? Not slightly heavy, not a little overweight, but actually fat?
You guys need to go on a diet.
200 pounds average weight is insane
One being healthy in the USA is statistically speaking, abnormal.
Well, the US average BMI (28.8) is overweight, and does need to go on a diet.
But we are once again leading the way among “Western”/Commonwealth countries (‘Merica! F$ck ya!)
But before we start throwing stones in glass houses, anything 25 – 30 is overweight, which includes New Zealand (27.8), UK (27.1), Ireland (27.1), Australia (26.8), Canada (26.8)…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_by_body_mass_index
To be fair, BMI isn’t exactly everything, or even necessarily that accurate.
Good point.
Especially for individuals, or in this case, countries, that have different proportions of non-Hispanic white-males (the narrow population from whom the original BMI scale was developed).
It’s like the Olympics. All the rich countries take home medals but America is always #1
Well, yeah, of course it is, but, what can you do, not eat the deep fried Oreos? We’re only human
This is the way I guess.
To be fair, if 200 is the average, the outliers really goose that number. You can only be so light. But there’s almost no limit to how heavy you can be.
Still not great, and maybe we shouldn’t be that shocked that subcompacts have completely disappeared from the market here.
You guys need to go on a diet.
200 pounds average weight is insane
One being healthy in the USA is statistically speaking, abnormal.
Well, the US average BMI (28.8) is overweight, and does need to go on a diet.
But we are once again leading the way among “Western”/Commonwealth countries (‘Merica! F$ck ya!)
But before we start throwing stones in glass houses, anything 25 – 30 is overweight, which includes New Zealand (27.8), UK (27.1), Ireland (27.1), Australia (26.8), Canada (26.8)…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_by_body_mass_index
To be fair, BMI isn’t exactly everything, or even necessarily that accurate.
Good point.
Especially for individuals, or in this case, countries, that have different proportions of non-Hispanic white-males (the narrow population from whom the original BMI scale was developed).
It’s like the Olympics. All the rich countries take home medals but America is always #1
Well, yeah, of course it is, but, what can you do, not eat the deep fried Oreos? We’re only human
This is the way I guess.
To be fair, if 200 is the average, the outliers really goose that number. You can only be so light. But there’s almost no limit to how heavy you can be.
Still not great, and maybe we shouldn’t be that shocked that subcompacts have completely disappeared from the market here.
Reminds me of the time I saw a lady at Home Depot having well over a ton of paving stones loaded into her Altima without even batting an eye at the bottomed out suspension. It’s always an Altima.
And she drove home doing 90 in the fast lane.
Reminds me of the time I saw a lady at Home Depot having well over a ton of paving stones loaded into her Altima without even batting an eye at the bottomed out suspension. It’s always an Altima.
And she drove home doing 90 in the fast lane.
Wow – that’s crazy. I thought my Triumph Spitfire’s 450lbs or so was low. 344lbs is basically me plus my laptop bag if I haven’t taken a good dump in a while. And having sat in one, I do fit in an Alfa 4C just fine. I’d probably own one if they had a stick.
Wow – that’s crazy. I thought my Triumph Spitfire’s 450lbs or so was low. 344lbs is basically me plus my laptop bag if I haven’t taken a good dump in a while. And having sat in one, I do fit in an Alfa 4C just fine. I’d probably own one if they had a stick.
Okay it’s me and the the dogs then
Okay it’s me and the the dogs then
I suspect it has more to do with suspension travel, then the integrity of the carbon fiber tub..
Something that I have often wondered about is how in a lightweight automobile a variation of 500 pounds is a very big deal but in a heavier car 500 pounds is a much smaller percentage of its weight. Intuitively I imagine that to get reasonably compliant suspension the spring rates on a lightweight car would have to be relatively low, and if combined with a relatively low ride height, there wouldn’t be much provision for additional weight. Perhaps Huibert Mees could elucidate?
Maybe that is why Jeremy clarkson was having such a rough ride in one. It was over gross with him.
That’s it. The vehicle is tuned for a load range, the larger the delta between loaded and unloaded, the less finely the suspension can be tuned, which is one reason it’s tough to tune light cars for good handling and ride unless, like this Alfa, they keep the delta down (even before the inherent restriction of a two seater with minimal cargo space), which means a very low listed payload. Heavier vehicles are much easier since that delta—even adding a few people—is a lower percentage of the vehicle weight unless you go to trucks, which have a high delta due to their ability to haul a lot of stuff and the suspension has to be tuned toward that higher weight, which is why they ride much better with a payload (though modern pickups ride pretty well even unloaded, of course they also weigh enough to be seemingly made from black holes).
I suspect it has more to do with suspension travel, then the integrity of the carbon fiber tub..
Something that I have often wondered about is how in a lightweight automobile a variation of 500 pounds is a very big deal but in a heavier car 500 pounds is a much smaller percentage of its weight. Intuitively I imagine that to get reasonably compliant suspension the spring rates on a lightweight car would have to be relatively low, and if combined with a relatively low ride height, there wouldn’t be much provision for additional weight. Perhaps Huibert Mees could elucidate?
Maybe that is why Jeremy clarkson was having such a rough ride in one. It was over gross with him.
That’s it. The vehicle is tuned for a load range, the larger the delta between loaded and unloaded, the less finely the suspension can be tuned, which is one reason it’s tough to tune light cars for good handling and ride unless, like this Alfa, they keep the delta down (even before the inherent restriction of a two seater with minimal cargo space), which means a very low listed payload. Heavier vehicles are much easier since that delta—even adding a few people—is a lower percentage of the vehicle weight unless you go to trucks, which have a high delta due to their ability to haul a lot of stuff and the suspension has to be tuned toward that higher weight, which is why they ride much better with a payload (though modern pickups ride pretty well even unloaded, of course they also weigh enough to be seemingly made from black holes).
That’s fine because if you’re in the US you should just buy a supercharged Federalized Elise if you want something like this. You’ll have a car that weighs a quarter ton less than a Federalized 4C, doesn’t have all of the insane maintenance requirements of the Alfa and actually handles well.
exactly; then k-swap it to perfection if you so desire – i wouldn’t even consider the alpha
You should only consider a car whose name you can spell properly.
That’s fine because if you’re in the US you should just buy a supercharged Federalized Elise if you want something like this. You’ll have a car that weighs a quarter ton less than a Federalized 4C, doesn’t have all of the insane maintenance requirements of the Alfa and actually handles well.
exactly; then k-swap it to perfection if you so desire – i wouldn’t even consider the alpha
You should only consider a car whose name you can spell properly.
Hey, me and my SO can drive this and still take 100lbs of luggage, sweet!
In other news today I learned that the Camry can support 4x 282lb adults… Which with the state of America, might not be enough for some families/friend groups.
Hey, me and my SO can drive this and still take 100lbs of luggage, sweet!
In other news today I learned that the Camry can support 4x 282lb adults… Which with the state of America, might not be enough for some families/friend groups.
IIRC, there was ~200lb weight difference between the European 4C and the heavier USA 4C due to additional safety/crash requirements. The reduction in payload capacity is likely a consequence of carrying additional weight elsewhere on the vehicle.
Closer to 500 pounds than 200. Alfa Romeo piled so much weight on these to get them federalized that they are heavier than a regular old ND Miata. I’m not surprised that the GVWR headroom is so low.
Could be 500lbs, perhaps I mis-remembered lbs vs kg. 200kg = 440lbs, so a plausible mistake on my part.
I test drove a 4C just before the pandemic before they got silly expensive and loved it. Got home and looked up the specs and discovered that the US version is 500 lbs. heavier than the EU version. 2400 lbs. is light but I want the 1900 lb. one dammit, and decided not to get one for that reason. Ever since then I’d been wondering what could possibly make the US version so much heavier, so cheers for that.
IIRC, there was ~200lb weight difference between the European 4C and the heavier USA 4C due to additional safety/crash requirements. The reduction in payload capacity is likely a consequence of carrying additional weight elsewhere on the vehicle.
Closer to 500 pounds than 200. Alfa Romeo piled so much weight on these to get them federalized that they are heavier than a regular old ND Miata. I’m not surprised that the GVWR headroom is so low.
Could be 500lbs, perhaps I mis-remembered lbs vs kg. 200kg = 440lbs, so a plausible mistake on my part.
I test drove a 4C just before the pandemic before they got silly expensive and loved it. Got home and looked up the specs and discovered that the US version is 500 lbs. heavier than the EU version. 2400 lbs. is light but I want the 1900 lb. one dammit, and decided not to get one for that reason. Ever since then I’d been wondering what could possibly make the US version so much heavier, so cheers for that.
I gotta check the door tag on the Roadster when I get home!
I gotta check the door tag on the Roadster when I get home!
What, no La-Z-Boy edition?
What, no La-Z-Boy edition?
Miata weight limit is 340 lbs. Pretty much always has been. That hasn’t stopped anyone.
Miata doesn’t use a Carbon Fiber tub though. i’d trust steel more even with minimal safety factor
That’s on you. Load capacity is load capacity regardless of the material it’s made from.
Both a steel Miata and a carbon 4C have a large safety factor in the chassis. As in, waaaaay more than 1.1x or whatever you’d be loading it to.
Second-gen Ford GT weight limit is 331 lbs. Which I suppose is more than enough for its likely usage of being trailered between climate-controlled garages as it gets passed around from one investor to another.
For the average American couple, Miata is NOT the answer.
That’s why we have two.
That’s wild! And somewhat unfortunate, in my eyes.