After the curiously styled 4C coupe, Alfa Romero has created a drop-top version called the 4C Spider.

While the car weighs around 60kg more than the coupe due to structural reinforcement required by safety regulations for open-top vehicles, the use of carbon fiber for the rollover bars, the spoilers and the windscreen frame--as well as the adoption of a lightweight canvas soft top--means that the 4C's structural rigidity and light-weight philosophy aren't compromised.

The use of carbon fiber continues inside the cabin but not simply as a decorative element. That's because the material was used to construct the car's monocoque and is clearly visible in the center console, door sills and rear bulkhead.

Alfa Romeo's new all-aluminum, four-cylinder 1750 turbo gasoline engine drives the 4C Spider's rear wheels through a six-speed, dual dry-clutch transmission, giving the car a 0-100kph sprint time of 4.5 seconds before it reaches its top speed of 250kph.

According to Alfa Romeo, the 4C Spider will go into production in 2015.