Italdesign Brera
ItalDesign's Alfa Romeo Brera, the smash hit of the Geneva Auto Salon, is fully production ready according to Alfa Romeo. The all wheel drive, V8 powered prototype, penned by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro, is a traditional 2+2 GT coupe design with bodywork entirely in carbon fiber. The engine, a 90 degree V8 displacing 4.2 liters, produces 402 bhp. To aid in servicing, the entire front clip of the Brera can be removed to provide easy access. The engine is set rearward in the chassis to aid with weight distribution, and the car features a rear transaxle with the Selespeed sequential gearbox. Exterior The Brera features the classic, long nose, short deck styling reminiscent of powerful Italian GT cars from Ferrari and Maserati, as well as Alfa's own Montreal, itself a showcar forced into production by popular demand. The front features the classic Alfa grille flanked by 3 round headlamps with prominent air intakes below. This approach is similar to the ES30 "Il Mostro" SZ of the early 90s, but the Brera treatment is completely different in detail and overall effect. From its subtly flared front wheel openings, the Brera carries a smooth waistline rearward over flared rear wheel arches which suggest power. The doors, which contain fixed window glass and open vertically in a scissor motion, betray the show car mission of the car. The rear of the car features a pointed lower edge to the rear glass, similar to the rear of the 147 and 156 Sport Wagon. The rear window is hinged to provide access to the luggage compartment. The smooth rear bumper contains 4 distinctive, trapeziod shaped tail pipes which announce the presence of a V8 engine. Interior The Brera interior, which makes extensive use of aluminum and leather surfaces, features a large center console separating the passenger and driver. As the doors have fixed windows, the interior door panels are sculpted to provide more arm and shoulder room to the occupants. The Brera also features the PICASOUND system created by Pierre Piccaluga, which is claimed to produce over 60% higher fidelity sound than any existing car audio sytem.
