Sunday October 4, 2009

Bellissimo Brera

Review by LAI VOON LOONG

Our reviewer almost absconded with this car after taking it out for a test drive.

ITALIANS are probably some of the sexiest people on Earth. They make sexy cars like Alfas, Ferraris and Maseratis. Some of the sexiest bikes are Italian – Ducatis and MV Augusta.

Sexy fashion labels like Prada, Versace, and Armani, to name just a few, are Italian.

And, of course, anything made by world-renowned Italian designers like Pininfarina and Giugiaro is bound to ooze sex appeal by the bucket load. Which brings us to the Guigiaro-designed Alfa Romeo Brera 2.2 JTS sports coupe.

That panoramic all-glass roof adds elegance to the sweeping lines.

I’d seen pictures of the Brera when I was researching my article for the Alfa 159 and I thought it was one of the sexiest cars I had seen in quite a while. And when I was told I would be getting one for a test drive I was quite chuffed! I was hoping that Sime Darby Auto ConneXion Sdn Bhd would give me a flaming red one to review but I was given a silver one instead.

I was minutely disappointed but only for a while. The Brera was sexier in real life than in the photos. There it was, gleaming like a jewel with sunlight sparkling off its panoramic all-glass roof, and its curvaceous sweeping lines swept me off my feet. It was lust at first sight.

Everything about the Brera seems to attract attention. Young boy racer guys and older seven-year-itch types are equally enamoured by the Brera. Even women can’t resist the allure of this fine Italian automobile.

The Brera 2.2 shares its engine with the four door 159 2.2 sedan, which I reviewed a couple of months ago, but these two cars are as different as chalk and cheese. Never mind that one is a four door and the other is a three doors sports coupe, the Brera looks and feels like it was built by an entirely different company.

Nothing but fine Italian leather will do, of course, for the interior.

Apart from the engine, they also share some other common design features like the gorgeous triple headlights and some instrumentation in the cabin, but that’s where the similarities end.

I won’t delve too much on the Brera’s engine performance, as it is practically the same engine as the 159. The specs are exactly the same: Jet Thrust Stoichiometric or direct fuel injection, maximum power output is 185bhp at 6,500rpm and maximum torque of 230Nm coming in at 4,500 rpm.

But because the engine is placed in a smaller, lighter car, it feels like it has more get-up-and-go. The engine feels more responsive simply because of the better power-to-weight ratio.

Having said that, I felt that the engine, while impressive, held back the Brera’s true potential. I would have liked to have compared it with its fire breathing 3.2 litre V6 all-wheel-drive sibling, but, sadly, that variant is not available in our country.

The Brera we get is front wheel drive, but don’t let that put you off. I know there are a lot of hand-brake-pulling, drifting aficionados out there who wouldn’t give front wheel drive cars two hoots, but I assure you the Brera is built for superb handling. You’ll be impressed to see the Brera grip and turn like a rear wheel-drive.

What would an Alfa be without the Selespeed gearbox? The more cynical would say a better car, while the Alfisti would probably defend it to the last man. The Brera’s gearbox is again the same as the 159’s. It is a six-speed Selespeed automated manual gearbox.

For those who didn’t read my review of the 159, the Selespeed is essentially a robotised manual gearbox, whereby a computer activates an electro-hydraulic clutch when changing gears. In auto mode the computer does all the gear changes, while in manual mode the driver does the gear selection via the up-down gear lever or a pair of paddle shifters on the steering wheel column.

I got to know the intricacies of the Selespeed gearbox while reviewing the 159 so I knew what I was in for. Nothing bad in the Brera – on the contrary, a very smooth ride, especially in manual mode.

The Brera can be described as a 2+2 coupe but you would be hard pressed to fit anything but the smallest of Chihuahuas in the back seat as legroom is virtually non-existent. How they expect to fit two adult sized Mat Sallehs there is beyond my comprehension.

Entering the cabin, you are immediately greeted by a pair of maroon coloured sports bucket seats adorned in fine Italian leather with their own satin finish vanity plates set in the headrest.

Look at all those curves! The Alfa Romeo Brera 2.2 JTS is one sexy Italian. – Photos by LAI VOON LOONG / The Star

All the instruments and controls are driver-centric with the centre console angled slightly towards the driver. You get the feeling that the Brera was built specifically to please enthusiastic drivers.

The three and a half days I had with the Brera left me with some pretty good impressions. This is certainly a car to buy if you can’t afford a Ferrari or Maserati. Indeed, its pricing also places it below some German sedans and coupes.

I really had a great time driving the Brera as it’s not often I get to be the centre of attention. This is one car that was really hard for me to give back.

The Brera 2.2 JTS is priced at RM308,888 (on the road, without insurance).