Alfa Romeo 4C spied in Michigan

During the Detroit auto show in January, Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne told us -- in his own irreverent way -- that arrival of the long-promised Alfa Romeo 4C would be delayed once again.

But as these spy photos show, testing on the sporty coupe continues even as a debut date remains elusive.

This isn't the first time we've caught the 4C testing in the States. In fact, this may be the very same camouflaged Alfa seen in last month's reader-submitted video clip. Like the video, these photos were taken in Michigan -- and they give us a clear look at both the 4C's thoroughly wrapped exterior and its relatively complete, undisguised interior.

In these shots, we see that the 4C sports a digital instrument panel. Yet the rest of the dashboard remains uncluttered and decidedly analog, and there doesn't appear to be any space on the center console for a giant touchscreen infotainment system.

Purists may bemoan the lack of a shifter -- four gear selector buttons sit just ahead of the parking brake in its stead -- but its absence is consistent with the dual-clutch transmission the car is slated to receive.

Though Marchionne claims the 4C “is not where it needs to be,” these photos show a car that looks tantalizingly production ready. Even the interior trim looks complete on this tester, with a metallic strip below the passenger airbag bearing the make and model of the car.

By Graham Kozak