Alfa Romeo 4C built for the driving purist

Powertrain: 1.7-liter turbocharged inline 4-cylinder with 6-speed twin-clutch automated manual transmission

Zero-to-60 mph: 4.2 seconds

The Alfa Romeo 4C is back for 2016. It’s still so loud you’ll barely hear the all-new sound system. The ride is as harsh as ever. Its manual steering requires substantial arm strength at low speed. And you must bend and fold yourself to get into the cramped cabin.

But never mind the details. This is a story of one of the great sports cars of all time, a wonderful, astoundingly fun and raucous machine.

Oh yeah, it will take some time, effort and patience to make friends with the Alfa, as suggested above. But on corners and the open road, with its turbocharged engine hissing away just behind the driver’s seat, driving enthusiasts will discover it’s all worthwhile.

Alfa, the Italian carmaker that is now part of Fiat Chrysler, introduced the 4C last year after a nearly 20-year absence in the U.S. The major components return for 2016 but Alfa has added optional carbon fiber elements, leather seats and an improved Alpine sound system.

To the dismay of some, there is still no manual transmission available. But shifts are far faster with the six-speed, dual-clutch automated manual transmission — 130 milliseconds at full throttle, we’re told. And there are paddle shifters behind the flat-bottomed wheel.

The 4C is sure to turn heads with its flared front fenders, swept-back headlights and air scoops on the sides. By most accounts, this is one of the most stylish sports cars on the planet at any price.

Seated just inches off the ground, the road feel and steering feedback are much like a Formula car I once test-drove at the Pocono Raceway in upstate Pennsylvania. Steering response is lightning fast — it is entirely unassisted. Without power-assist, though, parking the little bugger and taking it through slow turns is a bear.

So the Alfa is not best suited for everyday driving (though combined mileage stands at an impressive 28 mpg), but it is eager and built for Sunday track days. Under the rear deck sits a 1.7-liter turbocharged engine that produces 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque.

That may not sound like much in the world of muscle cars but there’s plenty of low-end kick for a good takeoff, and it sounds cool as the turbo sucks in air and hisses between shifts. Getting the Alfa to 60 mph takes just 4.2 seconds; top speed is rated at 160 mph. Yeah, it’s a small engine but the whole dang car, with its aluminum frame and composite plastic panels, weighs 2,500 pounds soaking wet.

There is some turbo lag but nothing you can’t live with. And the rear-wheeled Alfa has a four-mode drive selector so you can switch from natural to all-weather to track settings in a heartbeat.

The Alfa offers its biggest thrills on corners, which are taken nearly as flat as the straightaways. The 4C rides on bigger wheels in the rear — 19 inches there, 18 inches up front — for better grip and handling.

Helping keep things stable is a double-wishbone setup in the front and MacPherson struts in the rear. Stopping comes quickly and sharply with a Brembo brake package.

Climbing into the 4C coupe is a challenge. And, once inside, the quarters are cramped. Limited shoulder room, no place to rest the arms, no glove box or other storage cubicles. No center console. There are a couple of small cupholders but they’re behind the seats and awkward to reach.

Cargo space is a joke, too, at 3.7 cubic feet — and be careful what you put back there because it’s situated next to the engine so it may get toasty.

The cabin is actually a carbon fiber bucket, which is pretty cool since you can see stretches of carbon fiber everywhere you look. Interior features, not so cool. The instrument panel and dash are sparse. Bluetooth and USB port are all there is to brag about.

The Alfa comes in a two-passenger coupe or roadster called the Spider, which gets either a cloth or optional carbon fiber top. Two trims are available plus options like parking sensors, cruise control, bigger wheels and red-painted brake calipers.

A Track package adds more carbon fiber, louder sport exhaust and a track-tuned suspension. This is for serious competitors or the insane.

The 4C, simply, is not for everyone except those who can live with rough, loud and uncomfortable on a daily basis. Most of us are willing to admit we want some creature comforts enmeshed with our fun.

But driving purists who are willing to make the sacrifices may never find more precision, more tenacity and more raw driving fun at these prices.