Brera uncovered

Newswheel staff :: 08 November 2005 :: Filed under Coupe, Four wheel drive, Alfa Romeo, Alfa Romeo Brera, Europe & UK

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Motoring press gets stuck into new Alfa coupe

The NDAs have lifted, the floodgates have opened and the clichés are in full flow: the first road tests of the Alfa Romeo Brera coupe are in. Earliest among the UK scribblers are Andrew Frankel for the Times and John Simister for 4Car, both wise and worldly scribes who know a chintzy front-drive Italian shed when they see one. But what do they make of this stunning new Alfa?

Familiar front end? Brera shares its front panels, engines, dashboard and chassis fundamentals with the Alfa 159 saloon.

First some background on the Brera. Originally seen in concept form at the 2002 Geneva show, the Brera joins the Audi TT and VW New Beetle amongst the ranks of show cars made manifest for the market (though it’s worth noting that the concept’s Ferrari-sourced V8 power plant and rear-drive installation has done a runner in favour of a pair of GM-derived petrol engines, an in-house diesel lump and a front-drive chassis with optional Q4 four-wheel drive). Sharing a common architecture with the recently launched 159 saloon, including the bonnet and front wings and the rather fussy looking and already slightly dated dashboard, the Brera has been given a 175mm wheelbase chop and a glass roof along with those show car lines in its journey from saloon to sexy, slinky coupe.

This is the weakest link: Alfa still hasn’t developed a succesful interior design language. Goodbye.

Unsurprisingly, the engine line-up is also familiar Alfa 159 fare. The entry level option is the GM-sourced 2.2-litre, direct injection petrol unit, knocking out 185bhp and 170lb/ft. The range-topper, meanwhile, receives Alfa’s new V6 in 3.2-litre, 260bhp trim. Again, it’s based on GM technology, though it does benefit from bespoke Alfa Romeo heads. Rounding out the engine line-up is the now-obligatory blown diesel lump, a 2.4-litre example capable of 200bhp and 295lb/ft.

Drivetrain options include the standard front-drive setup on entry level models, but the V6 gets Alfa’s Q4 four-wheel drive system with a default front/rear torque split of 43/57 and up to 72 per cent of torque to either axle depending on road conditions. Manual six-speed gearboxes are standard across the range, while the 2.2 gets a Selespeed sequential semi-auto option and the two larger engines a conventional slushbox torque converter tranny.

So, the Brera looks fab and has a reasonable range of engine and transmission options. But can it break with recent Alfa tradition and deliver a top-drawer, no-excuses driving experience?

Alfa Romeo Brera: bloody beautiful in black.

Well, both Simister and Frankel definitely dig the Brera’s perceived quality and impressively stiff and solid chassis. And naturally they jive with the concept car styling. But neither, sad to say, breaks into song when it comes to the car’s driving dynamics. Of the two, it’s Simister who’s willing to give Alfa the most credit. He’s largely impressed with convincingly Alfa Romeo-esque howls produced by the GM-sourced petrol engines and gives the ride and handling an all-round thumbs up, despite noting the rubbery and lifeless steering.

Frankel, on the other hand, is clearly underwhelmed by the 2.2-litre engine’s ability to shift the Brera’s portly 1,469 kerb weight. As he rightly points out, a 0-62mph sprint of 8.6 seconds is pretty pants for a £25,000 coupe with sporting pretensions. Nevertheless, he remains impressed by the 2.2’s on-track agility and precision.

And not too shabby in silver, either.

But while he’s happier with the urge on offer from the 3.2 V6 (0-62 in 6.8 secs, 149mph top speed), not mention the soulful six cylinder tunes,  he’s less crazy about the nose-heavy balance of the Q4 chassis. Simply put, your pay your money and you take your choice: chassis balance or engine oomph. You can’t have both with the Brera.

Hence, the all-round verdict is predictable enough. If you want something with a little soul, a dash of Italian flair and a generous helping of aesthetic pizzazz, as ever Alfa can provide an appealing option. But if you’re after a sporting coupe with genuine pace and first class chassis dynamics, Alfa simply hasn’t delivered in recent memory. And the Brera does nothing to change that. New car. Old story.

The Brera goes on sales in April with UK prices ranging from £25,000 to £30,000, depending on specification.

A few more Brera pics, for good measure:

Linkage:
The Times
4Car