Alfa Romeo Brera S

If you’re on this website then chances are you’ll have seen Top Gear. That means you’ll have heard Hammond, Clarkson and May bang on about the wonder that is Alfa Romeo cars – however they do mention the caveat. Whilst Alfa Romeos tend to be brilliant cars to drive (drivercentric if you will), they go wrong. In the words of every mechanic in the country, “oh, it’s going to cost you”.

Until recently, I’d not had the experience of an Alfa – but then that all changed at the Scottish Motor Show. The car in question was the Alfa Romeo Brera – their newest coupe with looks that you’ll either love or hate. Whilst it looks great from the front end, I must say that I wasn’t impressed at all from the rear – it has almost as offensive a back end as the current generation Megane. Maybe it’s a car that has external design that grows on you. Either way, it’s not as instantly appealing as a 156 GTA for instance.

The driving dynamics could have done with improving too – the main problem being that this is a heavy, heavy car. When coupes are arguably meant to propel you quicker than their saloon or hatch variants, this didn’t seem up to the job. However, as per usual, Alfa had turned out a car that still wanted you to drive it, giving a lot back in terms of feel and driver information. Here’s hoping then that the ‘S’ variant is different.

So what does the ‘S’ mean? It stands for Speciale, as this is a vehicle that has undergone changes under the watchful eye of the motorsport specialist Prodrive (they are the guys who do those lovely DBR-9’s amongst other things). You get the same choice of engine, which is the 2.2 litre or the 3.2 litre JTS V6 (no diesels here thank you).

Let’s look at the changes then shall we? For an extra £1,500 over the standard car you get your Prodrive badges on the car (a nice exclusivity factor there then), a 10mm reduction in ride height to give you better stability and less roll, four chromed exhausts and 19 inch specialist lightweight alloys. It must be said that these are a real stand-out feature of the car and will have passers by stopping to look at your new baby. They are also mechanically important as they provide much needed weight loss for a car that really does need a diet.

As with the standard version of the Brera, the interior is a welcoming place to be. You’ll find swathes of leather, red stitching and of course a numbered plate as there are only 500 of these bad boys going to be made. Even the pedals have become sportier over the standard car, with a nice aluminium finish.

For the dynamics, spring rates have been stiffened by 50% so that should make a big difference – whilst damper rates are revised for more body control and less wayward movement. Even fine-tuning the geometry wasn’t beyond Prodrive – they’ve clearly looked long and hard at the Brera to focus it as much as possible whilst still making it a good, usable every day car.

The Brera is a lovely car. There’s no doubt about it, if you’re sitting in one or looking at one from the outside (rear aside of course) you’ll understand that it’s a special place to be. However, it remains a particularly heavy car; the ‘S’ variant has lost 100kg compared to the original but is a fat 1,550kg. Quite a lot I’m sure you’d agree for a car that is really only a 2+2. It is perhaps that weight that still lets the car down.

There’s no doubt that the Alfa Romeo Brera S is a good car – but part of me is wondering whether it is the car that the Brera should have been anyway – or at least perhaps in the V6 3.2 litre guise. This will propel you to 60 mph in about seven seconds, but you should expect that in a car costing over £28,000. A lot of money no doubt, putting it above the cost of a new PZ Mazda RX-8 or Nissan 350z.

Overall, the Brera S is a car that fits into the Alfa Romeo line-up perfectly. What I mean by that is it remains just like marmite, marzipan and motorsport. You’ll either love it or hate it. Whilst Alfa might have a lot of problems associated with the brand, there’s no doubt that they produce some fantastic, drivercentric vehicles that have a lot of love to give. Now, where did I put my chequebook?