Sometimes the end of an era can be bittersweet and that’s especially true if your a fan of the Alfa Romeo 4C coupe and spider. Alfa Romeo made a buzz when it ended U.S. sales of the 4C coupe back in 2019 and the bell now tolls for the 2020 4C Spider with no 2021 models planned for U.S. distribution. We had a chance to drive a yellow 4C back in 2016 and we came away impressed with the renewed levels of driver involvement that the quirky coupe brought to the table. Thankfully, Alfa is not letting the 4C leave with a whimper, and has unveiled one final treat for U.S. buyers, the 33 Stradale Tributo.
Paying homage to a sports car icon
As the name implies, the Stradale Tributo pays homage to the 1967 33 Stradale, which in turn was the roadgoing version of the iconic Tipo 33 race car. Styling here continues the same basic mantra that has defined the 4C for all of its life with the car still retaining its bold and purposeful identity. The exterior also features two key changes with all models being adorned with a vivid shade of Rossa Villa d’Este tri-coat paint. However, the biggest surprise lurks in the 4C’s carbon fiber monocoque tub. Typically an unassuming shade of black, the tub is now finished in a translucent shade of red which looks very striking especially when viewed as a whole with the rest of the car.
Other goodies include gray gold colored wheels and splashes of carbon fiber are also found in other areas of the car including the mirror caps and the front mounted vents. Otherwise it’s textbook 4C which is not a bad thing considering that it looks just as good now as it did when we first encountered it back in 2016.
Bespoke interior spruces up 4C comfort
The interior of the 33 Stradale Tributo doesn’t stray too far from the basic design that has defined the 4C driving experience. It’s not a luxury car but this time around Alfa Romeo designers gave the cabin some extra bespoke bits to make it feel just that extra bit special. A two-tone black and tobacco (AKA brown) leather interior greets occupants while special badging adorns the side sills, dashboard and center console.
Buyers that buy the Tributo will also receive a specially published book that goes over the 4C in great detail and has enough information crammed into its pages to please even the most die-hard Alfa Romeo fans. We also suspect the book will have more vivid images than the radio which is still a rather crude aftermarket unit which covers the essentials and not much else.
Performance hardware remains delightfully unchanged in 33 Stradale Tributo
Buyers hoping to find more horsepower for this design focused will not find it here, with Alfa engineers leaving the bulk of the performance hardware intact. That means power is still provided by a 1.7 liter turbocharged four cylinder engine that’s good for 237 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. This spunky powerplant can still deliver the goods like it did back in 2016, with the 2020 4C Spider making the sprint to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds.
Befitting a tribute of this magnitude, the 4C also comes loaded with options including a Akropovic sourced exhaust system as well as a race tuned suspension that has been designed to help give the 4C even more confidence when attacking the tightest of apexes. This high degree of razor focused precision will perhaps be the one thing that we will miss the most about the 4C and its departure means that the pool of cars that can even attempt to offer the same levels of suspension neutrality will get even smaller.
When can I buy a 2020 Alfa Romeo 4C 33 Stradale Tributo?
Alfa Romeo is promising to deliver a higher degree of exclusivity, and has revealed that it will only build 33 examples of the 33 Stradale Tributo. Pricing will start at $81,590 and while that figure and the rarity might make it seem hard to find at first glance, we suspect that buyers will potentially have a far easier time of locating one for themselves. That’s partially due to the low sales numbers that the car has always recorded with FCA revealing that only 92 4Cs represented its broader sales figures for 2020 so far.
The lone quirk appears when it comes time to order. Unlike other cars with more traditional launches, Alfa Romeo representatives revealed that prospective buyers should email (yes you read that correctly) the company at sales@alfaromeo.com. We’re not sure how long it will take the company to respond, but if you do decide to follow that route make sure to check your mailbox (and your junk mail) for the red hued golden ticket that will secure you one of the wildest farewells for a model that we’ve seen in a long time.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.