Alfa Romeo 4C landing soon on American soil — lightly

Two of the saddest, and most sudden, American automotive casualties took place in rapid succession in the late 20th century: the demise of the Pontiac Fiero, and the disappearance of Alfa Romeo brand from the U.S. Their absence not only left a hole in our hearts, they left a hole in the nimble mid-priced sports car market — one large enough for Mazda, Toyota, and Porsche to drive a few hundred thousand Miatas, MR2s, and Boxster/Caymans through.

Pontiac is gone for good, but the good folks at the snake and cross brand have finally realized the error of their ways, and have uncovered the recipe for success in the American market: build and sell an Italian Fiero. That car is this, the Alfa Romeo 4C.

Alfa claims we will be able to buy one in 2013. And to prove it, they just unveiled the production version of the car here at Geneva. The salient details:

Engine: This ain’t no Iron Duke. It’s a 1.75 liter, turbocharged, direct injected four-cylinder, mounted in the tail, that puts out 240 hp/259 ft.-lb. and will propel the car from 0-60 mph in under 4.5 seconds.

Transmission: A Turbo-Hydramatic, twin dry clutch, automated manual, with paddle shifters, featuring four shift modes (dynamic, natural, all-weather, race) and six speeds.