Road Test
Alfa Romeo Brera 3.2 V6 Q4 SV
Test date 03 July 2006
Price as tested £29,250
For Presence, laid-back V6, traction, stylish interior, solid build quality
AgainstWeight dulls performance, thirst, handling lacks sparkle, cramped rear seats
Even the staunchest critic of Alfa Romeo would have to concede that, at last, things are looking up in Turin. The 159 saloon has been generally well received, there’s an ex-BMW man keeping an iron grip over quality, and now there’s this, the new Brera coupé. There could be nothing more appropriate to lead Alfa’s comeback charge than a sexy, high-performance coupé.
Its looks have split opinion more than any other car we can recall. For some, it represents the very quintessence of how the 21st century Alfa should appear. To others, it’s not only misproportioned but also a missed opportunity at a critical time in Alfa’s recovery strategy. That said, what no one doubts is that it has massive road presence and that it is unmistakably an Alfa Romeo.
If you want to save money on both purchase and running costs, you can choose to power your Brera with a 2.2-litre petrol engine or a 2.4-litre five-cylinder diesel, but those looking for a Brera that’s as fast as it looks will be drawn towards the 3.2-litre V6 petrol motor fitted (complete with four-wheel drive) to the top-of-the-range Brera 3.2 V6 JTS Q4. It is this car that falls under our scrutiny now; it arrived costing £29,850 in SV trim.
That price is what we round here call fighting talk. It’s more than the £28,845 Nissan asks for the 300bhp 350Z complete with GT pack, wildly more than the £22,900 Mazda wants for the high-power version of the RX-8 and more, even, than the £29,285 you’ll need to take delivery of an all-new Audi TT 3.2. Even if you forgo the leather seats and panoramic sunroof of the SV model, the standard V6 Brera will still set you back £28,750.
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