Brera bears down on SA!

Arguably one of the prettiest Alfas in recent history, the Brera was rapturously received at its first showcasing, and will probably have the same effect when it is débuted here next year.

Arguably one of the prettiest Alfas in recent history, the Brera was rapturously received at its first showcasing, and will probably have the same effect when it is débuted here next year.

On display at Frankfurt was the show-stopping Q4 four-wheel drive version of the 3,2 V6 JTS equipped with a 24-valve engine to deliver 191 kW at 6 200 r/min and peak torque of 322 N.m at 4 500 r/min.

A 2,2 JTS petrol engine, with 140 kW on tap, will also be available at with the car’s European launch later this year. A 149-kW 2,4 JTD turbodiesel will be available from 2006.

All engines are mated with Alfa’s six-speed manual gearbox, though a six-speed automatic is optional.

The car is fitted with double wishbone suspension at the front and a multilink system at the rear for dynamic performance and high comfort levels. The Brera comes with two equipment levels and features ranging from the quirky large fixed sunroof to the practical tumbling rear seats, which expand the luggage capacity from 236 dm3 to 546 dm3.

The 3,2 V6 comes with the Q4 four-wheel drive system . Advanced electronic systems, like VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control – Alfa’s interpretation of ESP) with MSR and ASR, are part of the package.

The Brera is billed as a sporty and luxurious 2+2, and as these pictures show, the dramatic styling of the concept car has not been altered much. Changes have mainly been made to the rear, where the production Brera has grown to accommodate the larger cabin and luggage space.