Rant: Is the Brera a joke?

[sjn2004]

Having just read the Autocar test of the Brera, I'm thinking Alfa must be living on another planet. What have they done? The things a joke!

The GTV 3.0 was released 10 years ago with 220bhp, 0-60 in 6.5 and 0-100 in 16, weight 1440kg or so. At the time, FAST cars like a 993 were doing 0-60 in 5.2 , basically short of a 911,355, the GTV kicked ass.

Now they release this cardboard cutout of a car weighing 1745 kgs, doing 0-60 in 7 secs and 0-100 in 18.8 at a time when the opposition have moved on at least two steps.

[sjn2004]

Just to add, the new TT does 0-60 in 5.7 and 155mph. Its the same price as the Brera.

[sjn2004]

jamieboy said:

sjn2004 said:

Just to add, the new TT does 0-60 in 5.7 and 155mph. Its the same price as the Brera.

5.9 seconds for the manual, to give a like-for-like comparison. To be honest, if you're judging this type of car on 0.8 seconds difference in the (largely meaningless) 0-62 sprint, and a claimed 6mph top speed advantage, then I think you're missing the point of them entirely.

edit for spelling.

Edited by jamieboy on Tuesday 11th July 09:41

The difference is 1.3 secs(0-62 against new TT), and against the old GTV loses around 3 secs to 100. I guess you've never had a motorway slip road race??? 0-100 is VERY important! Not missing the point at all, when you're in your Brera, and I approach from behing in my older 3.0GTV, you'll have to move over and watch me disappear into the distance.Not good when a car that started out on a P reg (I think) can actually blow away its newly released replacement.

[sjn2004]

_Batty_ said:

havoc said:

Yes the GTV looks dated.

was your mouth out with soap
Phase 3's look amazing

Was going to say that the one in the pic has 16inch wheels and no aerokit, the cars with 17's and aerokit look far better. I find a GTV looks nude with no aerokit.

For years Alfa have promised a bigger engine, either a twin turbo effort or the lump from the 4200. Nothing has been delivered.

Back to the performance, my point was that when the GTV was released, the 3.0 wiped the floor with everything out there bar Porsche, M3's etc. Now even repmobiles will out gun the Brera, thats not part of the game(all show and no go).

[sjn2004]

cathalm said:

jamieboy said:

A fair review, thanks for this.

cathalm said:

In fact the brera looks exactly like a 159 with the boot cut off, which is exactly what it is.

That's really not the case - at a casual glance they look the same, but the lower part of the front wings, the shield, and the airdam are all different. There are some pictures a couple of pages back in this thread that illustrate this.

cathalm said:

The V6 brera..simply isn't powerful enough for its weight.

Brera V6 - 260bhp, 1630 kilos, 162bhp/ton
GTV 3.0 V6 - 220bhp, 1415 kilos, 157bhp/ton

The diesel is the only one I've driven, so I can't comment on how the V6 feels, but I found I was travelling far faster than it 'felt' and I put that down to the fact that it's so much more refined than my GTV. It seems a lot more grown up, and that's possibly good and bad in equal measure. If it's not the car for you, then that's absolutely fair comment.

And yet it still is slower to 60 and 100 by some way, besides, my gtv doesnt have 220bhp it has 252 ;0)

I guess the rest is down to transmission loss due to the 4WD.

How did you get your GTV to 252bhp? More than exhaust/chip/air filter?

[sjn2004]

cathalm said:

It has exhaust, cams and remap. immediately after it was rolling roaded at 252, take the accuarcy of rolling roads how you will. BMC CDA not fitted at the mo.

Just spotted that Autodelta do a 300/320bhp supercharger for the 3.0L/3.2 for 4.5k, do you know of anybody that tried it? The car should really shift then! Infact, if they make a version for the Brera, it might be worth a look.