Gran Carro:
It's time for the Porsche 911 and Mercedes SL to check their rear view mirrors because there's an Italian thoroughbred from Alfa Romeo waiting to pounce!
In this world exclusive first drive, Auto Express hit the road in the sensational new coupé and can confirm it's ready to give its German opposition a major fright.
Christened the Brera, the Giugiaro-penned stunner was unveiled at this year's Geneva Motor Show. Mixing Alfa heritage with a daring, futuristic design, the newcomer stands shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the most famous classic Alfas, thanks to its flowing wings that curve inward to meet the traditional shield shaped radiator grille.
At the rear, the car's composite bodywork recalls the legendary Giuli-etta Sprint, with a domed window that extends deep into the roof. Stylised headlights complete the look, and are reminiscent of the SZ supercar of the Eighties. Inside, the attention to detail is further evidence of the Alfa's love affair with the past, with an attractive padded dashboard, ornate dials and excellent sports seats. Scissor doors, operated by unusual twisting handles that pop out of the bodywork, are more modern. But while it's full of retro hints, the Brera looks bang up to date and elegant, courtesy of deep flanks, and its aerodynamic stance and fluid lines.
It's incredible stuff, but the coupé's ability to exhilarate only really becomes evident as you turn the key. That's because the technology set to propel the Alfa is state-of-the-art. Sporting a V8 powerplant de-signed and built by Ferrari and which recently made its debut in the Maserati GT, the car offers a Formula One-style sequential gearbox mounted in the rear axle to improve weight distribution.
At idle, the exhaust trembles to a dull growl. Blip the throttle and it snarls like an angry tiger, straining to be let out. Press the pedal to the floor, and the Brera doesn't disappoint. Although Alfa says production models will have a tubular spaceframe chassis and not the shortened Maserati platform of this prototype, our test car was quick and cornered well.
Fat tyres and direct steering provide plenty of feedback to the driver, but the suspension is too hard to offer any comfort and will be much different by the time the coupé hits showrooms in 2004. One thing that won't be changed, however, is the semi-automatic six-speed sequential transmission, which offers swift, easy gearchanges. The shift is at its best as you hold the Brera in gear and use the steering wheel paddles to swap cogs as the rev counter soars towards the red line.
From our first impressions, it's obvious the Brera has plenty of promise, not least because it's one of the most gorgeous coupés to have been unveiled in recent memory. By the time it reaches production, however, things could be even better. Insiders claim the Brera will not only have stunning styling, it will also be one of the finest handling cars built by the Fiat Group.
Officials hint it may be available with a 4.5-litre, 400bhp turbocharged V8 sourced from Cadillac's soon-to-be-launched performance edition of the CTS. This arrangement is possible thanks to growing links between Alfa's parent company Fiat and US giant GM.
Loggato
non c'è niente da dire..... Ma l'ultima frase mi toglie il respiro.... Capisco le economie di scala ma su di una vettura del genere che senso hanno? Se proprio bisognava utilizzare un V8.... Ferrari e Maserati no? E perchè non tagliare 2 cilindri al 4.2 e turbizzarlo? Insomma va bene il trapianto "americano" su vetture come Thesis, 166, etc. etc. ma che cavolo..... comunque già sarebbe molto se la mettessero in produzione....
