Alfa UK Adds New Turbo Engines and Special Version to Brera and Spider Range

Following the unveiling of the new 200HP 1750 TBi petrol and 170HP 2.0 JTDM diesel powerplants in the 159 range late last year, Alfa Romeo UK is now adding the two engines to the Brera coupé and Spider convertible range.

In addition to the new powerplants, the company is also introducing to the UK market the new limited edition trim level "Italia Independent" on both derivatives of the sports car.

When equipped with Alfa's new 1.75-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine that produces 200HP and 320Nm of torque, the Brera and Spider reach the 0 to 62 mph (100km/h) acceleration benchmark in virtually identical times of 7.7 and 7.8 seconds respectively, before both topping out at 146 mph or 235km/h.

Prices are set at £25,205 and £27,205 for the Brera and Spider 1750 TBi respectively.

With the 2.0-liter turbo diesel plant that churns out 170 ponies and 360Nm of peak torque between just 1750 rpm and 2500 rpm, the Brera and Spider cover the 0 to 62mph sprint in 8.8 and 9.0 seconds respectively, and possess a top speed of 135 mph or 217 km/h.

In this case, pricing is set at £24,995 and £26,995 for the coupe and convertible versions of Alfa's sports car respectively.

As for the Italia Independent trim level which is available with all engines including the new 1750 TBi and the range topping 3.2-liter V6, both the Brera and Spider variants receive a unique matt black titaniuim finish, 18-inch black opaque 'turbine' design alloy wheels, red brake calipers and Alfa 8C inspired aluminium fuel cap.

Inside, the sports cars' interiors boast a black leather bound steering wheel and gear knob with red stitching, carbon-fibre trim inserts, sports dials, black sports leather upholstered seats with Italia Independent branded headrests, aluminium sports pedals and foot rest, and a radio/sat-nav sytem with Blue&Me.

Alfa Romeo Brera TI to Debut at the Paris Show

The French motor show will see the world debut of the sporty TI version of the Alfa Brera that is due to go on sale in autumn 2008. TI, which stands for Turismo Internazionale, is an acronym used by Alfa on its series models to denote high-end specification trim packages that include mechanical and styling changes. The Brera TI will initially be available with two gasoline engines, the 185HP 2.2-liter JTS and the 260HP 3.2-liter V6. The latter is paired with Alfa’s Q4 permanent four-wheel-drive system. -Continued

Mechanical upgrades on the Brera TI are limited to the reworked suspension which gets stiffer springs and dampers and a set of more powerful Brembo brakes with larger discs and red one-piece front calipers.

On the outside and apart from the TI logo applied to the front wings, the sport package also includes a set of bespoke 19-inch alloy wheels inspired by the 8C Competizione wrapped in high-performance tires. Inside, the TI gets a pair of front bucket seats trimmed with soft leather and finished with top-stitching and a metal plate bearing the TI logo.

The dashboard central console and the steering wheel panel are in dark brushed aluminium or carbon fibre, as an option while the steering wheel grip and gear knob are in perforated leather with red-stitching. Furthermore, Alfa offers customers the option to dress the entire dashboard in leather.

New Alfa Romeo Brera S Image Gallery

We’ve updated our Alfa Romeo Brera S image gallery with a new set of pictures that are more artistic than the first ones we published about a week ago when Alfa took the wraps off its Prodrive-prepped coupe. The Brera S, which will be available solely in the UK in 185Hp 2.2 JTS and 260Hp 3.2 V6 guises, has received a series of suspension modifications that promise to address criticism of the stock car’s mediocre handling credentials. -Image gallery after the jump

Alfa Romeo Brera S: Limited Edition Model Developed by Prodrive

In collaboration with Prodrive, Alfa Romeo has developed a special edition version of its Brera coupe model dubbed “Brera S” that will be sold exclusively in the UK with production limited to just 500 individually numbered models. The Brera S will be offered with two existing petrol engines, the 185Hp 2.2-liter and the 260Hp 3.2 V6.

While the car retains the same power as the standard Brera, Prodrive has made changes to the suspension and the interior and exterior styling along with the addition of a new exhaust system. However, Prodrive’s main goal was to seriously upgrade the Brera’s handling and to do that, the UK firm developed new springs and dampers which were tuned to to achieve the desired ride/handling balance and steering response required by driving enthusiasts in the UK. -Continued

At the same time, the suspension static geometry was also revised to optimize steering and handling while the car’s height was lowered height (-10mm). Prodrive also fitted the Brera S with new lightweight 19” alloy wheels and Pirelli PZero Nero tires along hollow anti-roll bars and aluminium suspension components from the Factory.

As a result, the weight of both Alfa Brera S models is lower than the standard cars. In particular, the front-wheel drive 3.2 V6 JTS is almost 100 kg lighter than the Q4 version and the 2.2 JTS version weighs 35 kg less. However, according to Prodrive’s data sheet, performance is unchanged with the 2.2 JTS and 3.2 V6 JTS Alfa Brera S can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.6 and 7.0 seconds respectively and on to a top speed of 139 and 155 mph.

While changes on the outside are limited to the new alloys and exhaust pipes, inside the V6 version cabin is dressed in black leather with red stitching while the centre console and instruments are faced in a dark finish. This interior can also be specified on the 2.2 JTS. Both versions get foot pedals from drilled aluminum and the headrest recess houses a limited edition Brera S aluminum plate, featuring the flags of Italy and Britain. Price in the UK start at £24,995 (OTR) for the 2.2 JTS rising to £28,450 (OTR) for the V6 version.

BRERA TECHNICAL DATA

ENGINE	2.2 JTS	3.2 JTS V6
No. of cylinders, arrangement	4 in line	60 degree V6
Bore x stroke (mm)	86 x 94.6	89 x 85.6
Displacement (cc)	2198	3195
Compression ratio	11.3:1	11.25:1
Max. power output: bhp (kW-EC) at rpm	185 (136) 6500	260 (191) 6300
Peak torque: Nm (kgm-EC) at rpm	230 (23.4) 4500	322 (32.8) 4500
Timing system (control)	DOHC (chain), 4 valves per cylinder, double electrohydraulic continuous phase variator	4 OHCs (chain), 4 electrohydraulic continuous phase variators
Fuel feed	MED 7.6.1 electronic direct injection integrated with ignition system	MED 7.6.2 electronic direct injection integrated with ignition system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (12V)
Battery capacity (Ah)/Alternator (A)	90/120	90/150
TRANSMISSION
Drive	Front	Front
Number of gears	6 + 1R	6 + 1R
Final ratio	4.176:1	3.895:1
TYRES
Standard version	235/40 R19	235/40 R19
STEERING
Steering system	Rack and pinion with power steering	Rack and pinion with power steering
Turning circle (m)	10.7	10.7
SUSPENSION
Front	Independent with double wishbones and anti-roll bar located via ball joints	Independent with double wishbones and anti-roll bar located via ball joints
Rear	Independent with Multilink architecture	Independent with Multilink architecture
BRAKES – (DISCS)	2.2 JTS	3.2 JTS V6
Front (mm)	Ventilated 330 x 28 D, fixed aluminium calliper with four 42 mm pistons	Ventilated 330 x 28 D, fixed aluminium calliper with four 42 mm pistons
Rear (mm)	Solid 278 x 12 D, combined 38 mm floating calliper	Ventilated 292 x 22 D, combined 42 mm floating calliper
WEIGHTS – TANK CAPACITY
Fuel tank capacity (litres)	70	70
Kerb weight DIN (kg)	1445	1540
Max towable weight (kg)	1450	1500
PERFORMANCE
Top speed mph (km/h)	139 (224)	155 (250)
Acceleration (driver + 30 kg): 0 to 62 mph (s)	8.6	7.0
FUEL CONSUMPTION – EMISSIONS*
Urban cycle mpg (l/100km)	22.2 (12.7)	17.2 (16.4)
Extra urban cycle mpg (l/100km)	39.2 (7.2)	35.8 (7.9)
Combined cycle mpg (l/100km)	30.7 (9.2)	25.7 (11.0)
Exhaust emissions – CO2 (g/km)	218	260
Emissions Standard	EU IV	EU IV

EQUIPMENT

ALFA BRERA S 2.2 JTS and 3.2 JTS

• VDC with Hill Holder (ABS + ASR + EBD + Brake Assistant)

• Fire Prevention System (FPS)

• Power assisted steering

• Driver, passenger, front side, window & driver knee airbags

• Front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters

• Alfa Code immobiliser and alarm system

• Electronic key with remote central locking and boot release

• “Follow-Me Home” headlamps

• Electronic start/stop button

• Electric front windows with one touch function and anti-intrusion sensor

• Dual-zone automatic climate control with split temperature and distribution function (air nozzles at rear, pollen filter with active carbon filter and AQS)

• Stainless steel kick plates

• On-board instrumentation with multifunctional display and trip computer

• Car radio with audio CD player (6 speakers)

• Rear parking sensor

• Front fog lights

• Cruise control

• Front armrest with temperature controlled storage compartment

• Brushed aluminium centre console

• Front seats manually adjustable (height, distance, tilting and lumbar adjustment)

• Electrically folding, adjustable, heated wing mirrors

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT 2.2 JTS and 3.2 JTS

• Italian Frau® leather upholstery with red stitching

• 19” alloy wheels with 235/40 tyres

• Prodrive engineering dampers and springs

• Revised exhaust silencer

• Front stone deflectors

• New design chromed exhaust pipe

• Aluminium sports pedals

• Sports leather steering wheel and gear knob with red stitching and steering-wheel mounted radio controls

• Sports instrumentation

• Exclusive seat aluminium badge plate