Alfa Romeo Brera: First Look

By Feann Torr

Though it won't be powered by an exotic V8 engine or a turbocharged 6-cylinder motor, Alfa Romeo's Brera will nevertheless become a reality in 2005.

Dreams of a Porsche-rivalling supercar have been dashed as the Italian company built a solid, money making business case for the Brera; a car that Joe Average instead of Joe Millionaire can afford.

And though this chappie is a little dejected that Alfa is still without a home-grown giant killing, license voiding, speed machine of rubber melting magnitudes, it's great to see the beautiful bodyshape of the Brera part of the official Alfa Romeo line-up.

The original Brera concept car was unveiled in March 2002, at the Geneva Motor Show, and was penned by Italian design doyen Giorgetto Giugiaro. At the time, it almost stole show and gave Alfa Romeo fans many reasons to cheer.

Alfa's bulging concept car was built using carbon fibre body panels and was kitted out with a 400 horsepower 4.2-litre Maserati engine, and it looked amazing.

And though the carbon fibre and highly strung V8 may be gone, the new 2006 production car is still a sight for sore eyes, looking like nothing else on the road, and in addition to the 2-door GT, it will give Alfa a real boost to its burgeoning sports car range.

Expected to replace the GTV in 2006, and set for a worldwide launch at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show in March, the production model Brera foregoes any supercar dreams in favour of more restrained (and attainable) running gear, with three levels and trim and three engines on offer.

The entry-level model will be fitted with Alfa's advanced JTS engine, generating an impressive 138kW from just 2.2-litres. The mid-range model will be a turbocharged JTD diesel engine churning out 180kW of power, and with a displacement of 2.4-litres.

The range-topping Brera will be driven by a 3.2-litre V6 engine worth 195kW, and the curvy new Alfa can be specified with either an automatic transmission or a 6-speed manual gearbox (depending on the version).

Technically speaking, the Brera is a 2+2 sports car, in that it's suspension and tyre setup is focussed more on offering rapid-fire response to bends in the road, rather than a plush, cosseting ride that wouldn't be out of place on a Rolls Royce.

Alfa Romeo talks about the new car delivering "outstanding dynamic performance" which it claims comes down to the use of quadrilateral front suspension and Multilink rear suspension.

Though rumours of an AWD version can't be substantiated at this stage, the 'Alfa Q4' traction control system will be available however, with the Italian car maker stating that the Brera will have "the most sophisticated electronic systems to monitor and control key dynamic parameters of braking and road holding to deliver greater driving safety".

And let's talk about that look; almost organic, even retro from some angles, and ultramodern from others.

The new Alfa measures 1830mm in width, 4414mm in length and 1372mm high, yet because of its incredibly angular design - where both the front and rear ends employ steep angles - the overall impression of the car is, in Alfa's own words, "very compact".

Elegantly flared rear wheel arches appear to give the rear track an increase, while a slim window line and long front doors suit the car's sporty disposition, though rearward visibility will no doubt suffer with the inclusion of such wide C-pillars.

Very little has changed from the original Brera concept car that made its debut in 2002, save for a pair of fog lights here, a teased shoulder there and a new set of rear view mirrors. The triple element headlight clusters are still there, the quad exhaust pipes have also made it through the development cycle intact and the overall shape is almost identical to the concept car.

Make no mistake - you won't easily confuse this little Italian hot head with a Commodore or a Falcon.

Only a handful of photos have been (officially) released by Alfa, and none of them detail the interior, and apart from the usual media spiel that the interior will have "an ambience that is both comfortable and sophisticated" the only sure thing at this stage is that the Brera will ship with a panoramic glass roof.

The Brera was officially launched at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show in March, and Alfa Romeo has indicated that the Brera will be sold in Australia, and will arrive here half way through 2006 with the 3.2-litre V6 engine and the top trim specification making the long journey from Italy, and more likely than not this model will be one of the most sought-after Alfa Romeo in the company's range.