At the 2005 Geneva Motor Show, the Alfa Romeo Brera coupe was presented to the general public, embodying the best practices of the Pininfarina design specialists. However, the fast-paced Italian sports car and history turned out to be fleeting.
In just five years, almost twenty-two thousand Alfa Romeo Brera and almost twelve and a half thousand of the open version of the Spider were produced. Back in 2002, Giorgetto Giugiaro presented the concept design at the Geneva Motor Show, but it wasn't until three years later that the car went into production. Three more years later, at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, a slightly modernized version was presented, and in November 2010 the Alfa Romeo Brera model was already discontinued. And this despite the fact that the car managed to get the title "Most Beautiful Car".
The exterior of the Alfa Romeo Brera would be beautiful and attractive in Italian, if not for one thing. The cloning of the exterior of the 159th model is very noticeable. The same beak of the hood and radiator grille, the same shape of the front optics with two blocks of three round lights, the same bumpers and front fenders. Differences become noticeable only in the slope of the roof and the shape of the elongated doors. The high waistline merges into a massive, rounded stern with a small glass area, small, narrow taillights and a branded emblem clearly in the center. And the twin tailpipes and 17-inch alloy wheels add a little to the originality.
The interior of Alfa Romeo Brera is also expectedly reminiscent of the 159th model. The same swivel of the dashboard towards the driver and the center console with three wells and the inscriptions in Italian Benzina, Acqua and Olio. At the same time, the selection of materials and workmanship are at a high level, leather upholstery with impeccable stitching, plastic is soft enough and pleasant to the touch, even the silver panel of the center console does not spoil the overall harmony.
The massiveness of the doors is concealed by the absence of frames at the glass.
The information content of the tachometer and speedometer is not the best, and the on-board computer display located between them is replete with small icons, but this unit, together with a multifunctional leather steering wheel, looks just great. A person of any body size can comfortably sit on the front seats, the seats have a lot of adjustments and developed lateral support. However, the same cannot be said about the back sofa. Even in theory, it is designed for only two, but the low-sloping roof will only allow children to comfortably fit.
There is not much space for luggage either, even with the rear sofa folded down, it is only 610 liters, and without it, even 300. On the other hand, it is foolish to expect practicality from a sports coupe under the Alfa Romeo brand.
At the same time, the Brera has a high level of equipment. The list includes seven airbags, a dynamic stabilization and hill start assist system and a host of other electronic assistants ABS, EBD, MSR and FPS. In addition, the high class of the car is emphasized by the presence of a keyless entry system, dual-zone climate control and expensive BOSE acoustics.
The unified platform GM / FIAT "Premium" has high strength characteristics. The traditional sports chassis for Alfa Romeo models with a front double-wishbone and rear multi-link suspension scheme provides the car with excellent handling. Good sound insulation conceals the thoroughbred rumbling of the Alfa Romeo branded engines.
In continuation of the conversation about the technical characteristics of the Alfa Romeo Brera - at first, two gasoline engines with direct injection and variable valve timing Twin Phaser were offered. One is an inline 2.2-liter, the second is a V-shaped six-cylinder with a volume of 3.2 liters, with a capacity of 185 and 260 horsepower, respectively. Both engines were aggregated with a six-speed manual or automatic transmission, and an all-wheel drive system was offered with a 3.2-liter engine. This was more than enough for a nearly two-ton vehicle. However, over time, a diesel version of the sports coupe was presented, equipped with a 2.4-liter inline five-cylinder Multijet engine with a capacity of 200 horsepower.
It is still possible to find an Alfa Romeo Brera in 2011 in car dealerships at a price of 1 million 700 thousand rubles (the cost of a mono-drive Alfa Romeo Brera with a 6-speed manual transmission and a 2.2-liter engine) up to 2 million 130 thousand rubles (the price of an Alfa Romeo Brera with all-wheel drive 3.2-liter engine and 6-speed "automatic"). But soon the last copies will be redeemed.
