Alfa Romeo Brera S 2.2 JTS 2009 Pictures

Alfa Romeo Brera S 2.2 JTS 2009 Pictures High Res

       

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A Brera for B roads

Manufacturers don’t usually bother with developing a model specifically for Britain’s roads. The Alfa Brera S is the exception to this rule. And it isn’t just another addition to the model line-up which sports a few minor tweaks; the Brera S is very much a force onto its own.

By JD Van Zyl

With the Brera S, Alfa is hoping to counter much of the negativity surrounding the standard Brera’s wallowy handling and to reestablish the marque as one that focuses on drivers. Developed in partnership with Prodrive (the stonking motorsport company best known for breathing fire into Subaru’s WRC contenders) the Brera S gets a thumbs-up from us.

So just how different is it?
Compared to the standard Brera, the S – it stands for Speciale, Italian for, erm, special – gets a sharper suspension set-up, sportier exterior upgrades and special interior treatment even if nothing has changed under the bonnet.
On the inside it is easy to spot the differences compared to the lesser Brera sibling. For starters there’s the leather dash with coarse red stitching and sporty leather seats. The sport seats, door panels, steering wheel and gearlever have been given the same leather and stitching treatment.

To really drive the sport theme home the S gets drilled aluminium food pedals and a limited edition aluminium plaque (only 500 units will be built). On paper a leather clad dash might sound tacky, but in reality it looks seriously stylish. We are talking proper Italian craftsmanship here.

The overall feel of the interior is top-notch with a bespoke and sporty feel in shades of black, silver and red, and it is one of this Alfa’s biggest selling points. Space in the rear remains nonexistent as in the standard Brera, and any adult, however small, will be very uncomfortable even for short journeys.
Outside changes are slightly harder to spot than in the cabin. Other than the special 19-inch alloys which have been inspired by the 8C Competizione’s wheels, the S gets a redesigned exhaust tailpipe (it also sounds much meatier) and has been lowered by 10mm.

What about the oily bits?
Indeed, underfoot is where the biggest differences are and Prodrive has managed to greatly improve the Brera’s overall handling. It doesn’t suffer from any of the jitteriness of the standard model and there is none of that annoying body roll. The S also deals much better with challenging road conditions, as are all too often the case on Britain’s B roads. Don’t expect the steering to be as accurate as on a BMW 3 Series Coupe though. Although quick it is still rather vague. Nor is it as nimble as an Audi A5. But in its entirety the package is impressive and a big step up from the standard model.

Two current engines power the S range – a 185bhp 2.2 JTS and a 260bhp 3.2 V6 JTS – but Prodive hasn’t tweaked either. Both versions are lighter though: the 2.2 version has lost 35kg whereas the V6 has shed a chunky 100kg (largely because of the weight saved from losing the Q4). Disappointingly this saving hasn’t been passed on to its performance figures which are the same as the standard models’. As a result the Brera S still isn’t the quickest kid around the block. Powered by the 2,2 engine it accelerates from 0 to 62mph in 8.6 seconds. The V6 manages the same sprint in 7.0 seconds.

The biggest downfall of the Brera S is its fuel economy, it just guzzles the oily liquid. Powered by the 3.2 V6 this Alfa achieves a measly 25.7mpg in the combined cycle, in town that plummets to 17.2mpg. This is worse than a thoroughbred supercar like the Porsche 911 which manages 18.2mpg about the city, and 28.7mpg combined, and it falls very short when compared to direct rivals like the A5 3.2FSI which manages 23.2mpg and 32.1mpg respectively. The 2.2 fairs marginally better in the forecourt, but is still a heavy drinker at 22.2mpg for the urban cycle and 30.7mpg combined, still slotting in under the more powerful A5.
How does it all tally up?

The Brera was already an attractive car, and with the slight exterior changes and lowered suspension it looks even better now. And then there is that spunky interior. It is also a great deal better to drive than the standard model and it only costs £2,030 more. A better option though than the 2.2-liter version, if you can stomach the fuel bills and don’t mind missing out on the Q4, is the 3.2JTS which is only £500 more expensive than the cheaper version and offer significantly more power.

Tech Specs: Alfa Romeo Brera S 2.2 JTS
Engine Type: 2,196cm3 in-line four cylinder
Max. power: 185bhp @ 6,500rpm
Max torque: 230Nm @ 4,500rpm
0-62mph: 8.6 sec.
Top speed : 139mph
Fuel economy (combined): 30.7mpg
CO2-emissions: 218g/km
Website: www.alfaromeo.co.uk