The Gorgeous Brera
Monday, October 16th, 2006
The Alfa Romeo stand was perhaps the most visited one during the 2002 Geneva Motor Show. The Italian company had the Brera Concept on display, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. The car was a low-slung fastback coupe with a pointed nose, gull-wing door, glass roof and a dramatic six-headlight front end. The rear shoulders were broad and crisply defined, giving the car a sleek yet muscular look.
The Brera was first planned to be just a show car, Alfa Romeo didn’t have any intention to put it to production. However, due to the overwhelming response from the general public and the fact that at that time the aging GTV and Spider needed replacements, the company decided to make the Brera.
The Brera is based on the 159, which is the sedan that replaces the 156. It shares more than half of its parts with the 159, although the Brera’s wheelbase is 175mm shorter. This should make it more nimble and agile to drive than the 159, and Alfa says that the Brera’s suspension settings have been altered to suit. There are two engines available: a 185bhp 2.2-litre four cylinder and a 260bhp 3.2-litre V6. Currently, the entry-level Brera is only available with a six-speed manual gearbox, while the top-end model comes with four-wheel drive and a choice of either six-speed manual or automatic gearboxes.
Power delivery is smooth and linear. The unit makes a nice sporty roar above 4,000rpm, but it runs out of breath at high revs, and lacks low-end pull. The manual six-speed transmission shifts positively and it has a slick action. Too bad, though, that the clutch doesn’t provide enough bite to transmit the engine power effectively to the front wheels when you swap gears at high revs.
The steering lacks some feel, but it’s rather quick and direct. Body-roll could be less, too, and the framework doesn’t feel as tight as those of the Audi TT and Nissan 350Z. However, the Brera is always game for some fun on twisty roads. It boasts a generous amount of grip and manages to keep its composure around fast sweeping bends.
Apart from the engine, the other thing that lets the Brera down is the lack of steering feel, which makes it not so rewarding to drive. Alfa has done an amazing job with the Brera’s suspension, though. It’s firm enough to remind you that you’re in a sports car, but when faced with rough surfaces, most road impurities are soaked up with great aplomb.
Unlike the pre-Brera Alfas, our first impressions of the Brera’s cabin were good. Everything fits together neatly and solidly. All the interior surfaces that you would expect to be padded are padded, while the mock-aluminium trim looks good. But the Brera’s cabin isn’t flawless. The plastics on the door levers of our test car weren’t fitted nicely and the painted plastic panel that houses the cabin lights and roof-blind switch looks and feels cheap.
The cockpit is sports-car snug and the glass roof has made the Brera’s limited headroom worse. However, shoulder space is ample at the front and the door pockets and glovebox are usefully sized. At the back, legroom is non-existent. You can probably fit no more than two little toddlers, but Alfa’s reason for compromising backseat space was to make way for a decently sized boot, which probably is large enough for a golf bag.
Replacing the GTV, the Brera is a quantum leap ahead of its predecessor in every aspect. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful cars of current times and the fact that it won the beauty pageant in the 2006 International Automobile Festival in Paris confirms this.
The charismatic 2.2-litre engine could use more oomph and the steering feel could be better. Other than the minor trim niggles in the cabin, the Brera’s interior is perhaps the best ever in Alfa’s history, in terms of build and material quality.
If you want a sexy car that goes as well as it looks, we predict the 3.2-litre V6 version is a better bet, although it costs about $35,000 more. Otherwise, if you merely want a boulevard cruiser that will turn heads as much as anything from Ferrari or Lamborghini, but not one that’s not so expensive that you have to sell your vital organs, then the base Alfa Romeo Brera will do the job nicely.
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