When the fascinating ‘Brera’ concept car was presented at the Geneva Motor Show two years ago, Giorgetto Giugiaro said: ‘It is not a repetition, but a bud that will flower’. Today, this dream has come true: the new Alfa Romeo Brera has its world preview on the same Swiss stage, and will be on the market at the end of 2005.

Sportiness and elegance combined in unique, exclusive styling. Harmonious forms and volumes which, when they are supported by Alfa Romeo mechanical and engineering excellence, produce a beautiful, powerful, solid car. This is very briefly the spirit of the new coupé which will arouse extreme emotions and guarantee superbly enjoyable driving. The engineers and stylists only had one goal: to combine sportiness with roominess and the quality of life on board.

To achieve this result, they started from the excellent premises of the fascinating Brera prototype, which had excited the press and the general public, winning numerous international awards: the ‘Best of Show’, awarded by the magazine Autoweek at the Geneva Motor Show, ‘Best of Show’ in the Prototype category at the Villa d’Este Concours d’Elégance, 2 prizes for its category at the Bibendum Challenge 2002, one as ‘one of the most elegant in the world’; and the title of ‘the most fascinating car’ at the Super Car Rally 2002 from Paris to Monte Carlo. A worthy curriculum, which the new Alfa Romeo Brera now inherits.

Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro in collaboration with the Alfa Romeo Styling Centre, the model represents the state of the art in the world of the coupe, a strong compact car, mistress of the road with a strong personality.

First of all, this fascinating ‘2+2’ has generous dimensions: it is 1,830 mm wide, 4,413 mm long and 1,372 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,525 millimetres, although the heightened taper of the front and rear make it look very compact. This does not in any way diminish the elegance of the lines which flow smoothly, from front to back, right down to the built-in bumpers and light clusters with their converging wedge shape.

The exterior line is a succession of classical references, an ideal place where traditional Alfa styling cues are reproposed in a modern key. This is evident at first glance. For example, the rear window that recalls the window of the Giulietta Sprint of many years ago. Or the rear end which reiterates the distinctive traits of recent Alfa Romeo models. And at the front, the bonnet recalls those of cars of the Fifties, dominated by the shield set at the centre. And finally the larger rear light clusters and the four exhaust outlets reinforce the impression of a powerful sports car, like the large tyres and the lovely alloys that are standard throughout the range.

By folding down the rear seats, the luggage capacity is increased from 236 to 546 litres, which hints at the generous loading area. The Alfa Romeo Brera comes in three outfits, all lavishly equipped with electronic and telematic equipment, and the interior ambience is always welcoming and sophisticated, thanks to the quality materials used and the introduction of innovative solutions, such as the large fixed sunroof which increases the luminosity in the car and the passengers’ sense of space, making the line sleeker and more flowing.

The engine is the heart and real strength of every Alfa Romeo model. Under a fascinating line and strong personality, Alfa cars conceal a range of superb engines with advanced technology and generous performance.

The same is true of the Alfa Romeo Brera, which offers a choice of two JTS petrol engines (2.2 delivering 185 bhp and 3.2 delivering 260 bhp), and a 2.4 JTD turbodiesel that delivers 200 bhp (available after the launch), combined with two different gearboxes depending on the version: 6-speed mechanical or automatic (not available at the launch). In other words, this is a car capable of exciting performance, but is also ideal for everyday use.

Fascinating styling, plenty of temperament and superb engineering. The Alfa Romeo Brera combines these distinctive features with others, playing its trump cards in the field of safety and dynamic behaviour.

While ‘enjoyable driving’ has always been one of the strong points of any car from Alfa Romeo, ‘enjoyable travelling’ now becomes a necessary choice when the cars have to guarantee excellent comfort as well as the Alfa temperament.

For this reason, the Alfa Romeo Brera fits double wishbone suspension at the front and a Multilink system at the rear. This layout guarantees excellent dynamic performance but also superb comfort. Whoever sits at the wheel controls the behaviour of this great sports car, but certainly does not forgo the excellent comfort guaranteed by the suspension. To which the Alfa Romeo Brera adds a sporty trim and Q4 four-wheel drive on some versions.