Pics Aplenty: Prodrive-tuned Alfa Romeo Brera S
Click above for high-res gallery of the Alfa Brera S
We didn't need another reason to want an Alfa Romeo Brera, nor another excuse to ogle its breathtaking lines. But then Prodrive comes along, with all its racing and rallying know-how, and gave us the Brera S. The toughened-up version addresses some of the gorgeous coupe's performance shortfalls and makes us cry "it's not fair", because it isn't. A car so beautiful and now, thanks to David Richards and Company, so dynamically improved, should be ours, but unfortunately a little puddle called the Atlantic Ocean keeps that dream from becoming reality. So we'll just have to wait until Alfa Romeo finally makes the voyage Stateside, by which time the limited-edition Brera S will undoubtedly be all gone, and with good reason. We'll just have to console ourselves with this new batch of achingly gorgeous images, which we're glad to share with you in the gallery below.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jarett 12:04PM (5/27/2008)
Nice, I like it! cx9 looking I think.
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Joel 2:20PM (5/27/2008)
CX-9 mixed with a Volkswagen Corrado to me. It is definitely growing on me.
Cole Mitguard 12:10PM (5/27/2008)
That alfa front facade is still growing on me, but the rest of the car is beautiful. The rear end especially, really nice. And then there is the cockpit, what craftsmanship, just looks like a nice place to take a little rest, haha. Oh, and its probably pretty fast too... lol. But alas, still not here in the US, that whole hatch thing, I love it, but there aren't enough of us that do.
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Mike Lee 12:32PM (5/27/2008)
Why are so many people excited about the looks of this car? It's wheelbase is too short in relation to the length of the car; the front extends forward of the front wheels too far, but the rest of it looks okay. Not great, but just okay. If it were longer and slightly lower it would look terrific, but the design didn't translate well onto such a short wheelbase.
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zamafir 12:50PM (5/27/2008)
Mostly because we recognize the constraints of this segment in europe, and the exhaust is hot :)
Shiftright 5:27PM (5/27/2008)
I agree the wheelbase is a bit too short for the car, but Alfa has done a great job in disguising the overhangs required by the AWD hardware by incorporating a dramatic taper of the front end in plan. In person you rarely notice the short wheelbase, and it looks pretty dramatic. But Alfas have always been unique cars and individualistic design always polarize opinions. Personally. I'd rather drive a car that people love or hate than one that fades into the scenery, but the Brera, like many other Alfas, indeed has won many design awards, so you're in the minority, and that's your right...
Anyone know if it's possible to upload images in this blog?
Carlos 12:33PM (5/27/2008)
Who cares, Alpha's are some of the ugliest cars around. The only good one is the 8C and it's grill ruins what would have been a perfect car.
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Flea 1:07PM (5/27/2008)
"ladies and gentlemen, stevie wonder and ray charles offering their opinion on car design!"
that's the first quote that popped into my mind when I read that.
Basically every Alfa out there has won a design award, the Brera THREE.
I understand the grille is either like or no like, but summing them up as the ugliest cars in the world makes me think you find the Cayenne sexy.
Carlos 4:07PM (5/27/2008)
I don't like the Cayenne either
John 1:18PM (5/27/2008)
Maybe I am too American, but I don't get the excitement over this car. It is definitely the best execution of the jelly bean shaped hatchback I have seen other than that little Volvo C30... but "breathtaking lines" seems a bit much.
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Torrent 4:40PM (5/27/2008)
I must be TOO American, too. This car is nothing to get hyped up about. "Beautiful lines" are on a 1970 Corvette, but even those aren't breathtaking.
Shiftright 5:31PM (5/27/2008)
Breathtaking may be a bit hyperbolic, but I've seen one in person and driven it, and it looks very dramatic, extremely agressive, modern and unique, but then again, aesthetics are a matter of personal preference. I would buy one in a heartbeat.
Bryan Riddle 3:52PM (5/27/2008)
now if it didn't weigh as much as a 30 person gangbang it would be a great car
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Shiftright 4:07PM (5/27/2008)
It weighs less than a BMW 328xi Coupe (AWD), and it has more power. Funny, no one ever called that car lardy...oh, but wait, it's a BMW, so it's perfect...
Shiftright 9:14PM (5/27/2008)
So tired of the RWD snobbery, especially when 99% of most people in the real world couldn't tell the difference or appreciate advantage unless they're on a racetrack. All the hot Audis and the giant killing WRXs and Evos have AWD, like the Brera, and no one complains about them not being RWD or driving the "right wheels". I agree with you , however, in that most modern cars are way too heavy nowadays, thanks to ever increasing demands for safety and gadgets. You're a bit off about its dimensions though. It's significantly smaller than a 6 series: BMW 6: Length/width/height 190.2/73.0/54.1 in , 3,814 lbs. BRERA:173.6/72.5/52.8 in 3,531, lbs 16 pounds LESS than a Golf R32
Michael 8:53PM (5/27/2008)
This beautiful car is just too big. It's slightly smaller than a 6 series!! And yes all the beamers are too heavy. But Shiftright, you can get the bimmers powering the proper wheels, unlike the Alfas.
Like 10-15 years ago, I remember thinking if a car was over 3000lbs then I thought it was too heavy, those days are gone.