A Brera worth looking at

[Andyk]

This is one Brera that could have been worth a look..

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1863928.htm

 

[GransportFan1]

Very nice, pricey though?

 

[Andyk]

Or maybe this one..Cheap..wonder what it would cost to put it right.

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1655158.htm

 

[GransportFan1]

Cat C, wouldn't touch it with a barge pole, even though i dont have one.

 

[Andyk]

Does seem to be alot of damage even though they say front end...Back door gone as well...

 

[conaero]

Adam my GT is a cat C and was very minor damage so it's nothing to be scared of.

Cat C does mean chassis damage and luckily mine was just the front cross member which was £70 and was an hours job to fit.

 

[Andyk]

I now that the Brera is just rubbish but the styling is so addictive ... what a shame.

 

[GransportFan1]

I wonder when Alfa will put their own engines back into the cars, do you think it will ever happen?

 

[ENZ525]

I wonder when Alfa will put their own engines back into the cars, do you think it will ever happen?

I doubt it...but here is an interesting read:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-...ix-alfa-romeo-as-volkswagen-circles-unit.html

 

[GransportFan1]

That is a good read, thanks for posting Enz.

 

[GransportFan1]

I mean is there or has there been a better looking engine (apart from Ferrari) to go into mass production, probably not.

 

[Cavalier]

Good post Enz.

Alfa is going backwards at a rate of knots unfortunately. The marque has been haemorrhaging money so badly, that they have two, yes count them, just two new models in their entire range, the Giulietta and Mito. Production of the 159/Brera/Spider according to Alfa's five-year plan ceases in mid-2011.

FIAT spa's decision to buy into Chrysler and take advantage of their distribution in the USA in anticipation of a planned re-entry, coupled with a parts/technology swap (read the Pentatstar V6), essentially means that Alfa will never again build its own engines. The non-Chrysler engines will indeed be FIAT Powertrain developed units (1750 tbi, the 1.4 Multi-air etc etc).

It is a great shame, but it's an economic reality finally forced on the marque after a decade of poor sales.

Some say that the V.A.G. group may be the answer to Alfa's woes. I remain sceptical. It all comes down to where V.A.G. will position Alfa in their range. If they're going to sell it as a Latin alternative/replacement to their SEAT brand, using hand-me-down VW tech, forget it. Alfa may as well stay with FIAT.

If however they move Audi further upstream to compete more with Mercedes and let Alfa occupy Audi's position taking on BMW - could be very interesting. Alfa using lightweight aluminium chassis' with a 2.5 litre turbo charged 5-cylinder present in the Audi TTRS. 0-100 in under 5 seconds. Yes please.

Sadly, a pipedream. The new Giulia will share Chrysler tech, unless V.A.G. come a knocking sooner.

P.S. And the Brera isn't rubbish, even if it has a GM block.....lol

 

[Andyk]

Enzo, that is interesting but doesn't feel like we will see Alfa giving the loyal faithful what they wantin the future......One-quarter of Giulietta purchasers are women...The Mito is evern more....Alfa need to do what they have to to survey in a difficult market and time.....But they are moving away from their core values for which most of us on here love them for.

 

[Andyk]

Must say I've driven 2 Breras and they felt like a whale..heavy and under powered....The UK only Brera S Prodrive was much better and I would be tempted with one...Removing the four wheel drive for this model rerally helped.

 

[ENZ525]

I agree with you Cavalier and Andy...

But I just have a funny feeling that something good will happen to Alfa,
maybe it is just because I have a soft spot for them...maybe not, we shall see,
I just hope they do not go the way of Lancia...even forgetting about the engines,
there is not 1 decent looking vehicle in the whole range, pig ugly the lot of them IMO.

Regards,

Enzo.

 

[Cavalier]

Must say I've driven 2 Breras and they felt like a whale..heavy and under powered....The UK only Brera S Prodrive was much better and I would be tempted with one...Removing the four wheel drive for this model rerally helped.

Fair enough.

Agreed, the biggest thing the Brera has going against it is its power-to-weight ratio. At 1700kgs, it is bloody heavy for a Coupe.

The V6 version with a remap though does bring the package along a lot better. Personally, the Q4 around bends is one of the few things it has going for it.

Now where's that Maser QP I'm after...lol

 

[Andrea]

Pretty cars...

 

[dem maser]

i had that engine in the top pic to look at everyday and even my mrs said what a beautiful looking thing and she dont know anything about cars.... love it

 

[Andyk]

My V6 engine was spotless but almost all you look at now have the tidy polished ports but th covers are all corroded ... Thats frustrates the **** out of me...

 

[GransportFan1]

yeah annoys me as well Andy, the covers need a real good refurb.