|
Autodelta will present two exciting new
additions to its range of exclusive bespoke
sportscars this week, on the occasion of the
MPH09 Prestige & Performance Car Show at Earls
Court Exhibition Centre, London (November 5-8).
Autodelta is the leading global aftermarket Alfa
Romeo design and tuning house, and this annual
automotive extravaganza – hosted by BBC TV’s Top
Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond
and James May – has come to be regarded as our
‘home’ motor show, taking place as it does just
a stone’s throw from our Park Royal
headquarters. The MPH Motor Show attracts only
the very cream of latest high-performance and
luxury automotive brand names, and is thus the
perfect focused environment in which to showcase
our ultimate-specification Alfa Romeo products.
Autodelta will
unveil two products that break new ground for their dynamic
capabilities. Firstly, the Autodelta J4 3.2 C, which
completes its ambitious and fruitful project of redefining
the stylish Alfa Romeo 159 sedan into the ultimate
modern-day interpretation of the classic Italian notion of
‘gran turismo’ motoring. Alongside it, the out-and-out
sports-minded Alfa Brera S ‘Compressore’, which fulfils this
limited edition model’s sporting makeover by providing the
optimum solution for the key area which remained unaddressed
when the muscular coupé was recently tweaked by Prodrive:
namely, a significant boost to its power output.
Autodelta J4 3.2
C
One year on from
the commercialisation of the Autodelta J4 2.2 C, the firm
raises the Alfa Romeo tuning bar once more with the arrival
of a bespoke package for the 3.2-litre V6 version, which
completes the petrol engine range upgrades for the Alfa 159
and in the process create a car pushing at the performance
boundaries, in true Autodelta fashion.
When Autodelta's
engineers set about developing Alfa Romeo’s acclaimed
flagship sedan right across the board, firstly with the
2.2-litre direct injection supercharging project, we were
driven, as ever, by the exacting requirements of our
customers. And for this project, the Giorgetto
Giugiaro-designed car’s inherent beauty and elegance led us
toward the goal of creating the ultimate ‘grand tourer’ in
true historic Alfa Romeo fashion, fusing the glamour, grace
and dashing style of the golden era of Italian motoring with
all the power, agility and driveability expected of an
Autodelta brand product – all tightly wrapped in a package
that cosseted the driver in luxury and comfort.
In almost a
century’s history, Alfa Romeo has defined grand tourer
motoring time and time again; rising to face that challenge,
adding value to that tradition, and creating a product that
is worthy of the famous badge was a task Autodelta accepted
with unrivalled enthusiasm, but at the same time, complete
respect.
The
groundbreaking result was the Autodelta J4 2.2 C, flamboyant
in spirit and utterly in-tune with the driver, bursting with
cutting-edge technology, but at the same time, always
practical and user-friendly; and the resulting demand over
the last year proves that we have been able to tap into a
rich vein of Alfisti desire. Now Autodelta has taken those
core ideas and melded them into the ultimate expression of
modern-era Alfa Romeo motoring: the V6 engine, making this
stylish four-door sedan available with the 352 bhp / 435 Nm
supercharged 3.2-litre engine package that has made the
Autodelta J5 3.2 C into a globally-respected sportscar.
The new
Autodelta J4 3.2 C is the result of a complete reworking of
the Alfa 159 into an optimised, leading-edge bespoke
package, with our highly-experienced engineers pushing the
performance and dynamic envelope of the car outwards in all
key areas to create a truly driver-orientated package.
Importantly, however, such dynamic prowess does not detract
from the inbred luxury; rather, it is enriched to deliver
the ultimate high-performance touring experience. Alongside
the new supercharging system with intercooler, the J4 3.2 C
features upgrades to the chassis, electronics, brakes, and
suspension, with the adjustable coilovers evolving from the
sporty-but-smooth J4 2.2 C, now recalibrated through
Autodelta's on-going R&D programme to take into account the
new weight of the V6 engine, its distribution and dynamic
properties, and ensuring that ride quality is enhanced
despite the significant power increase and new chassis
characteristics.
Autodelta Brera
S 3.2 ‘Compressore’
A recent project
between Alfa Romeo UK and long-established motorsport
preparation firm Prodrive saw the Brera coupe realised into
the limited-edition Brera S 3.2, with the most productive
aspect of the project being a weight loss of 100 kg thanks
to the use of front-wheel drive rather than the standard
Brera V6’s Q4 all-wheel drive system. With cosmetic and trim
upgrades in addition to suspension changes, the Brera S has
become a distinctive new version of this striking car.
However, Prodrive didn’t tackle the area of the car’s
performance, and this has led to a flurry of requests from
buyers for Autodelta to take the “bull by the horns” and
complete the overall package.
Reworking the
Brera S 3.2 with our supercharging system, the finely-honed
result of almost a quarter-century of developing and
applying forced induction principles to Alfa Romeos,
completely transforms it and turns the Brera S into a
high-performance sportscar perfectly in sync with the
driver. The Brera S 3.2 ‘Compressore’ remains true to
Autodelta's principles – as well as living up to the values
of the historic Autodelta brand name – remains a sportscar
that is always ready for everyday use in any scenario.
Autodelta has
great experience taming high-powered front-wheel drive Alfa
Romeo models, such as the 425 bhp Alfa 147 GTA which we
produce (and which has had excellent reviews), so they knew
exactly what would be the parameters and objectives of the
Brera S 3.2 project. The resulting car uses its
tried-and-tested supercharging package with intercooler,
drawn from the successful Autodelta J5 3.2 C with a maximum
power output of 352 bhp (compared to the Brera S, which
retains the standard model’s 260 bhp) and a significant hike
in peak torque to 435 Nm (compared to 322 Nm for the
standard Brera S model). The front-wheel drive nature of the
Brera S means that with Autodelta's performance upgrade,
in-gear acceleration is greatly improved, as the Brera S no
longer has the power drain of the four-wheel drive system.
Traction is further improved by fitting Autodelta's bespoke
mechanical limited slip differential (LSD), which operates
in combination with the car’s standard electronic Q2 system.
The mechanical LSD works in a more natural way (as the Q2
only operates in more extreme driving scenarios by applying
the brakes to transfer power to the required corner), and
offers the driver much greater feedback, which helps to
optimise the ‘fun’ experience that is a prerequisite of any
Autodelta-refined sportscar. Drivers will appreciate the way
our LSD integrates into the Brera to enhance the all-round
experience.
The result has
been transformational, turning the Brera S into an ultimate
product in the finest of Autodelta traditions, a sportscar
with dynamic capabilities to match its award-winning looks.
While this version remains outside of Autodelta's
comprehensive range, in order to cater for the demand of
owners, they have made this upgrade available from our
factory and we will present the Brera S 3.2 ‘Compressore’ at
the MPH09 Motor Show.
To complete the
all-round dynamic package of the Brera S, at the request of
a number of customers, Autodelta has fitted the renowned
Autodelta Sportline suspension kit which was developed for
the Brera chassis through our exhaustive R&D programme, and
has been now optimised for this latest application. The
Prodrive suspension promotes excellent performance on
smoother surfaces, such as racetracks, but it misses out on
providing comfort for everyday use; the Autodelta Sportline
suspension kit resolves this issue to offer the owner the
best of both worlds. The height-adjustable Autodelta
Sportline coilover suspension features specific new spring
rates and 40 different firmness adjustment settings that can
be quickly and conveniently adjusted by the driver. This
means the ride height of the Brera S can now be altered for
greater road convenience or to optimise the car in very
different driving scenarios, from the requirements of a
long-distance family tour, to the daily commute, or the more
extreme demands of a trackday.
MPH09 Motor Show
The ‘Ultimate
Performance Arena’ kicks off at MPH09: the Prestige &
Performance Motor Show, which offers fans of award-winning
TV programme Top Gear the opportunity to get up close and
personal to everyone’s favourite TV presenters: Jeremy
Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. So skip the waiting
list for the TV show and experience the assault on your
senses that is Top Gear Live! Top Gear Live not only brings
the TV show format to life, it is injected with more
performance enhancements than a disgraced sprinter. The
theatre performance features breathtaking stunts, amazing
special effects and blockbusting driving sequences featuring
some of the world’s best precision drivers. But that’s not
all – this motoring spectacular is not just the
supercar-fest you might expect, for it leaps, bounds and
bulldozes its way through a heady mix of thrills and spills,
to prove once and for all the boys from Top Gear do in fact
have the best jobs in the world.
Once you've seen Top Gear
Live, you'll want to spend the rest of your time at MPH with
the hundreds of exhibitors selling everything from the
latest car gadgets to the coolest accessories. Plus, get up
close to the stars – very close. Look around, sit inside and
see what some of the most stylish, rare and expensive cars
in the world are really made of in the MPH Gallery. Name a
supercar and you’ll almost certainly find it in the MPH
Gallery. Not behind barriers, but displayed to give you
maximum possible access to this jaw-dropping collection of
car exotica. Think Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini,
Koenigsegg, Spyker and Aston Martin. MPH is a showcase of
the world’s best. While Autodelta will fly the flag with
pride for Alfa Romeo by showing the Autodelta J4 3.2 C and
Autodelta Brera S 3.2 ‘Compressore’, other Italian
high-performance cars set to be seen in the gallery this
week include the limited-edition Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M
and convertible California, as well as Lamborghini’s
Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder.
Autodelta and
the MPH Motor Show
MPH Motor Show
has a strong legacy for Autodelta, especially so with the
Earls Court Exhibition Centre being located just a few miles
from its headquarters. Autodelta presented its first
exclusive, fully-bespoke model, a car transformed in every
area – the Autodelta 147 GTA AM 3.7 – during the first
edition of the show, MPH03, held at Earls Court six years
ago, in November 2003. The following year, Autodelta
presented two models that went on to achieve great
significance for their world premičres at MPH04, the
Autodelta 156 GTA AM 3.7 and the Autodelta GT Super, while
at the subsequent edition, MPH05, the assembled crowds saw
the debut of the Autodelta GT Super Evo, featuring a
distinct performance step over the previous model as well as
‘Model Year’ upgrades. Three years ago, for the fourth
edition of the show, the Autodelta Brera J5 3.2 C made its
public debut at MPH06, seen for the first time in final
production format after an exclusive world preview in Monte
Carlo that summer. Indeed, for the launch of the J5,
Autodelta attended both MPH shows – firstly at its usual
home at Earls Court in London, and then at the National
Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. Two years ago, it was the
turn of the Autodelta Spider J6 3.2 C to be unveiled for its
world premičre at MPH07, with the convertible sportscar
again displayed in both London and Birmingham. Last year,
following a special media unveiling in Holland, it presented
the Autodelta J4 2.2 C for its public debut at MPH08, and
one year on, its V6-engined sister is set to receive its
world premičre at Earls Court, alongside a first public
showing of the supercharged Brera S 3.2 ‘Compressore’.
Autodelta
Autodelta is the acknowledged
leading global aftermarket Alfa Romeo design and tuning
firm. In 2007, Autodelta celebrated its 20th anniversary.
Autodelta has built a reputation for its range of exclusive,
bespoke, high-performance models which maximise Alfa Romeo
engine capabilities and optimise chassis dynamics. As well
as these Autodelta-branded cars, Autodelta offers engine,
chassis, braking, electronic, suspension and styling
upgrades for most current and recent Alfa Romeo models, and
offers a range of Autodelta-branded performance products
through its Autodelta Sportline and GTA Racing parts
programmes. Autodelta operates internationally through its
world headquarters and factory located in Park Royal,
London, and through a series of authorised agents worldwide.
For more information, visit
www.autodelta.co.uk
|
