Alfa Brera massive disappointment?

[cardigankid]

You like 'em big do you?

[Marki]

jamieboy said:

edit to add that by automatically going for the V6 4WD because it's got the most numbers, people are maybe missing out on the 2.4 JTDm, which I reckon might be the pick of the current range.

I saw a review on the 159`s in a mag over here , on the times for 80-120 Kmph it is quoted that the 2.4 diesel is 7 tenths of a second faster than the V6 petrol is this true

[Marki]

stuartalfa said:

That is porn

[Wombat Rick]

Marki said:

I saw a review on the 159`s in a mag over here , on the times for 80-120 Kmph it is quoted that the 2.4 diesel is 7 tenths of a second faster than the V6 petrol is this true

I would have thought so.
The 2.4 is slightly lighter (all relative I know!) and has 25% more torque. That's a lot. 300lb ft in fact. It doesn't half shift in the mid range.


As mentioned in loads of other threads it's really only the V6 Brera drivers who seem disappointed. The 2.2 is a well priced perky feeling car and the 2.4 is an excellent GT in the traditional sense - comfortable, safe, quick, secure handling. Could just do with more supportive seats.

The proposed weight reductions for the 159 are 150kgs - so quite significant. There is no confirmation yet if the same changes will filter on to the Brera as it is built at Pininfarina and not on the 159 production line.

[errek72]

cardigankid said:

Am I the only one who doesn't think the Brera is that good looking? Particularly after all the Top Gear hype.

I understand (sort of) how people go on about the Brera's weight (not that a BMW 330 IX is that lightweight, *and* it doesn't have Torsen C, but Alfas haven't been overweight ever -except for the armoured version of the Sei- so its pretty much a disgrace if they start being now where they should be even more sporting as they seem to plan an attack on the top segment).

Now one can't argue about taste, but if a Brera is not good looking, I wonder how you feel about, say, an Aston V8 roadster or a 250 GTO. Ugly too, that? Just checking the parameters here.
Maybe it's just taste. Or maybe it's more medical than that

[Marki]

errek72 said:

Maybe it's just taste. Or maybe it's more medical than that

[cardigankid]

Current Aston V8 is a very good looking car. At first I wondered about the radiator grill - it was a little bit Salvador Dali - but the car has got balance and it has a lot more good angles than bad ones. To me it's essence of DB4GT ( which is good )

[jamieboy]

richb said:

cardigankid said:

Also though the spyder is prettier

Possibly but it's still huge compared the previous Spider. To me it was more akin to a Lexus 430

Huge? 11cm longer, 5cm wider, 0.3cm taller.

[cirvy]

The Brera may well be a massive disappointment, but i never banked on this much exclusivity when i bought mine. I have done over 6000 miles in it & only seen one other on the road. Astonishing! I've seen more Gallardos

I do have to say, i can see why they're so rare. After 6 months use, my 3.2 Brera is easily the most intolerably ponderous & woefully thirsty machine i've ever driven. It really is that bad

[richb]

jamieboy said:

richb said:

cardigankid said:

Also though the spyder is prettier

Possibly but it's still huge compared the previous Spider. To me it was more akin to a Lexus 430

Huge? 11cm longer, 5cm wider, 0.3cm taller.

So to us oldies that 4" longer and 2" wider so that's quite a bit extra mass and I assure you in case you've not seen the old Spider and new one parked side by side, yes it does look much fatter...

[jamieboy]

richb said:

jamieboy said:

richb said:

Possibly but it's still huge compared the previous Spider. To me it was more akin to a Lexus 430

Huge? 11cm longer, 5cm wider, 0.3cm taller.

So to us oldies that 4" longer and 2" wider so that's quite a bit extra mass and I assure you in case you've not seen the old Spider and new one parked side by side, yes it does look much fatter...

I've seen a Brera side by side with a GTV, and old and new Spiders in the same car park, but not side by side. The new ones definitely look bulkier, mostly because the wheelbase is shorter as a proportion of the total length of the car. The point I was making was that although it appears bigger, it isn't really much bigger at all - even my wife doesn't think that 4" is huge...

Anyway, I'm pretty sure we had this conversation on one of the many previous "isn't the Brera rubbish" threads...

[k lo]

This is how they should have made it.

I cancelled my order because the little touches were so far from the concept:

[wombat rick]

Of course! Alfa were always going to make a carbon fibre, gullwinged, V8, 20" wheeled, bespoke interior supercar for £20-30,000....

[k lo]

wombat rick said:

Of course! Alfa were always going to make a carbon fibre, gullwinged, V8, 20" wheeled, bespoke interior supercar for £20-30,000....

I would have paid more if they had ......

[jamieboy]

k lo said:

wombat rick said:

Of course! Alfa were always going to make a carbon fibre, gullwinged, V8, 20" wheeled, bespoke interior supercar for £20-30,000....

I would have paid more if they had ......

...so did you put your name down for an 8C? Broadly the same spec as the Brera concept (which Alfa did say at the time would not reach production 'in this form'), and only a bit over £100,000.

[k lo]

jamieboy said:

k lo said:

wombat rick said:

Of course! Alfa were always going to make a carbon fibre, gullwinged, V8, 20" wheeled, bespoke interior supercar for £20-30,000....

I would have paid more if they had ......

...so did you put your name down for an 8C? Broadly the same spec as the Brera concept (which Alfa did say at the time would not reach production 'in this form'), and only a bit over £100,000.

Yep.

What really disappointed me about the brera were not so much the doors but the wing mirrors, the glass hatchback door and the bonnet looks different too. If they had done these as per the concept, I don't think I would have pulled out.

[jamieboy]

k lo said:

jamieboy said:

k lo said:

wombat rick said:

Of course! Alfa were always going to make a carbon fibre, gullwinged, V8, 20" wheeled, bespoke interior supercar for £20-30,000....

I would have paid more if they had ......

...so did you put your name down for an 8C? Broadly the same spec as the Brera concept (which Alfa did say at the time would not reach production 'in this form'), and only a bit over £100,000.

Yep.

What really disappointed me about the brera were not so much the doors but the wing mirrors, the glass hatchback door and the bonnet looks different too. If they had done these as per the concept, I don't think I would have pulled out.

So....you put your name down for an 8C, and then pulled out because the Brera didn't turn out like the concept? Even though the Brera was launched before the 8C was confirmed? Fair enough.

[k lo]

jamieboy said:

So....you put your name down for an 8C, and then pulled out because the Brera didn't turn out like the concept? Even though the Brera was launched before the 8C was confirmed? Fair enough.

Sorry, lost me there. I pulled out of the Brera on launch but before that I had my deposit down for well over a year. I think the final details for the car came out quite near launch and once I'd seen in the flesh, although still very pretty, it just didn't do it for me plus I'd expected performance to be as good as my 350Z but it wasn't. It is a shame as the car does look good but it was some of the detail that put me off.

Put my name down for 8C when I saw it a few years ago; there was no confirmation at the time they would build it just showed interest.

[errek72]

Funny how many millionaires you meet on internet car forums, in particular when you compare to the people you tend to meet in real life. I'm not exactly living in a cardboard box here but if I'd had a Euro for everytime someone goes on to tell they can buy a car that costs as much as a house, I'd be able to buy one myself.

What am I saying? I'm on pistonheads (why not call it 'moneyheads') so I must be loaded already. That's right, I can buy several 8C's actually. An Alfa red one, a black one and a bright yellow one for my mansion in Mallorca.

But oh no, they look like Salvador Dali without the moustache (obviously, otherwise it would be an Aston) and Alfa did not build them in chocolate. Otherwise I'd surely thruthfully would have bought one. Except the one for Mallorca of course because that would have melted.


I mean come on!

[richb]

errek72 said:

Funny how many millionaires you meet on Internet car forums...

indeed it'll be interesting to see how many 8Cs get bought by them on here - after all it's gorgeous so I can't see any reason why any one of these millionaires shouldn't buy one