A big thank you to the guys at Auto Sportivo for taking on our Brera, let's bring that 5-cylinder to life! Check out their channel here, where I drove a PROPER Busso 😉 : ruclips.net/video/tSI7hsU1wco/видео.htmlsi=fVI2Gy10DYBgrBwR
I could have sworn it was only a couple of years ago I was watching the Brera on Top Gear against the TT and RX-8. I refuse to believe it was in fact over 15 years ago and I'm definitely not entering my late 30s now
I'm 42, it's been 20 years since I followed Top Gear. I would wait for 8pm on Sunday for Final Gear to upload the torrents since we didn't get TG in America.
And you can get all 3 cars for quite cheap now, not just the Alfa. Maybe they should do a reunion? If of course they can find a working RX-8. Note: I love the RX-8, but even I'll admit it has reliability issues.
I got a stupidly cheap 2007 Brera Spider 5 pot diesel last year with a "small" oil leak. Two warnings - the oil pump is not available ANYWHERE and I currently have the last new gasket in the UK after spending weeks trying to track one down. The oil pickup mesh had disintegrated and trashed the oil pump then thrown the contents up into the engine. Luckily I have a second engine with a working pump that I'm fitting currently. I would advise you check the subframe (they're over £1500 second hand in good condition), get it welded up, shot blasted and powder coated and then get the pan off and check the bearings and oil pump/pickup as soon as you can as a preventative so you don't end up in the same situation! Good luck Mike! 🤞🏻
@@andregoncalves5100 Exactly, and also since it was part of the GM concern back in the day already you should find more than enough spare parts while looking into the engine code.
Love the collaboration with the Auto Sportivo chaps . They’re hilarious and genuinely nice people. Be great to see their channel get a boost it deserves
I love that you guys do normal cars, you could be doing stuff way out of reach for most people but you keep everything grounded I'm sure a lot of younger people will be inspired by these builds
This was my dream car in college. Unfortunately it never made it to the USA, but I spent hours on their website looking through specs and options. I wanted the diesel engine version with AWD and manual transmission in either this blue or a dark grey. I will be watching this build with immense interest and immeasurable jealousy.
Alfa had a little tweak with it and upped the bhp. Don't know about other power or ratio figures. But as a Brera 3.2 owner, I can honestly say I love this engine & car combo!
@@MdvK-d6c The block is General Motors (Holden) but the head was mad from scratch from alfa. The top hp one had 260, but a lot of people complained it felt much slower, in fact at medium on a dyno they clock at 220... but whit a little tune, a more open exhaust and a better intake it can easy go past 260. "Unfortunately" it's quite an heavy girl, 1.6 tons... but if u go check mk4 supra weight is actually at 1.6 . Is a strange mix between a sport's car and a gt. U can enjoy corners, bit ull never take them as fast as a fully fledge sports car, but u got the long rides comfort, so yeah. This is a car for a niche of people, who don't mind some broke stuff and electrical errors 😂😂
The thing that i like about the Brera and even the 8C is that the design stayed true to the original concept cars, Alfas may be unreliable at times but man do they look beautiful
Honestly, I think the unreliability reputation is somewhat overblown rather than reality. I have a manual 147 since 2010 and it's been solid outside of wear an tear and an abusive Australian sun. It's been as reliable as other cars (Toyota, GM makes etc) that I've owned or friends and relatives have had over the years. That said, I wouldn't buy the first model of any car generally until any kinks have been straightened out.
drove one at launch and so wanted to love it after owning two Busso engined Alfas. Drove the (standard) diesel which made awful noises when prodded. The handling was uninspiring, no real steering feel or noticeable feel through the seat of my pants. Still gorgeous inside and out. Turns out it was a pig in knickers.
I'm from the US and was never really exposed to Alfa's until recent years. I will agree, this has one of the best rear ends of any hatchback. I'm very excited to see where this car ends up. I would love ripping this thing around some English country roads. Please, post more soon!
They've made some fantastic cars over the years, but have managed to remain fairly niche globally. Rest assured, there's lots more content to come with this one, including ripping it around some English country roads! 😉
First thing I would recommend doing is changing the suspension to a set of KW or Bilstein coilovers. Transforms the handling. Because yours is a 2007 model (referred to as pre-facelift) it doesn't feature any of the weight saving changes that the Brera underwent around 2008/2009 when the Prodrive model was introduced. What lots of people aren't aware of is that the Prodrive weight savings were applicable to all facelift Breras, not just the Brera S. For example, the later cars had aluminium suspension uprights instead of steel.
Get in touch - have complete brand new suspension for Brera 2.4 5 cyl (KW3, all new OEM suspension bolts, drop links, poly bushes etc). Refurbished 20" Alfa wheels with new tyres etc
This was a car I genuinely wanted back when I was younger, and you've just unlocked a level of nostalgia I didn't know I had. Again I find myself wanting a Brera, and I think I need it too ;)
Having owned a bera for 3 years and 60,000 miles I can tell you that a cheap brera will be expensive. Mine was very reliable but the small parts that did break were ridiculous prices. £200 for a window switch, £300 for a regulator, £450 per side for tail lights that will eventually condensate
That's the thing with Alfas...there's a reason they are cheap usually to buy. I had a very well maintained Alfa GT 1.9 during only 1 year and a half and every month I found some new thing wrong with it. And as you say, parts/maintenance is expensive (belt to be replaced every 3 years? I'm guessing on this 2.4 also), they break often and some parts you cannot even find, as these cars get older and there aren't many of them around. Ended up selling it and buying an MX-5 NC - nothing wrong so far, and more fun on mountain roads where I use it most. Alfa was a beautiful car and nice to drive on motorways, I loved it, but peace of mind beats looks all day 😃
£200 for the wimdow switch? That must be the passengers? Driver door ones have become so rare to find one where the mirrors actually work and even the broken ones were £400 when I wanted one. I love Brera's I really do but what I dislike strongly is Alfa Romeo's production of spare parts ending after 6 minutes of building the cars. I was lucky in my ownership but that's likely ebcause I never drove it. Using a Brera daily is a risky venture lol
The same with cheap 916s (Spider). They are usually pretty reliable, but mine was kind of a barn find (parked for 10 years) and there are a lot of small issues. Steering rack 1300€, cw boots 400€, rear badge 150€,cam position sensor with installation 600€... don't buy a cheap Alfa. Pay a little more for a nice one
My first car in South Africa in 1996 was a 1983 model Alfa Sud 1.5 Superhatch...it was given to me with a broken engine (cambelt failure equaled bent valves)...it had been standing for 5 years when I took possession of her (I named her "Delorus") It took me nearly a year to re-do the interior myself and save up the money to get her resprayed and get an engine transplant...all in all it was cheaper than buying a new car back then... I drove her for 2 years...she was temperamental (wouldn`t start after a Johannesburg afternoon thunderstorm, she would during, but not after for some strange reason) but so much fun to drive and throw around corners, she got myself and a few friends to college to get my qualification in Graphic Design...I sold her for R3000.00 in 1999 and still miss her...
I had one of these for just over a year, I needed an economical car but didn't want something boring. Looked gorgeous and had a diesel engine with character. And it was great on long journeys, so comfortable and was surprisingly economical despite the engine size, would definitely have another one
absolutely love this, my dad used to have a 159 with that same engine. he had a wizard exhaust on it so it sounded really good for a diesel. please make sure you change the tacky black badges, and either the 19 inch pro drives, 19 inch 159 ti wheels or even 18 inch 5 hole wheels would really set the car off
Im actually so excited for this, a lot of people dont give the proper opportunity to alfas due to bad reputation but as any other car all it takes is for people look after their cars. Ive owned ffom a GT, a 147 Q2 sport, now owning 2x giuliettas (petrol and diesel) and honestly for you to be a petrolhead you need go own one! Cant wait for whats to come!
Hi from Sydney. I had a 2008 red Brera a couple of years ago but had to sell it as a relatives empty garage was no longer available to keep it. It was the base model JTS 4 cyl petrol and no rocket ship but still lovely to drive. I regret selling it every day. When new it would have cost A$65K which would have got you three Toyotas Corollas! So no wonder they didn’t sell many. I will be watching this series with interest to see how it turns out.
For the 159-family cars it's either the 1.8L turbo petrol or the turbo diesels above 1.9L The platform is so heavy that Fiat Corse (former Abarth) canned thr 159 touring car project after they couldn't meddle with suspension geometry far enough to make it corner properly. A V8 engined 159 GTAm was tested on a mule but who knows how that drives
I had 156 and 159. 159 was way, waaaaay worse car. It was pointlessly heavy, especially in the front. It was too long and never felt right on any type of roads.
@@unlearningcommunism4742 unfortunately that platform was developed at Saab with an eye on the American market, but it only went under Alfa Romeos, as Saab, Cadillac, Opel and Buick chose the epsilon instead, and luckily the MK3 Delta was diverted to the Fiat C2 platform
Just yesterday I saw one in Canada (I'm in the US) for 14 K Canadian so to me 1700 is not bad. We never got this car here in the US and for years it has been my favorite hatch. Can't wait to see the end result. Great video.
The engine to have on this platform is the Turbo Benzina 1.75 TBI. Yes, the 2.4 will have more torque but it's about 150 kg more on the front axle and adds up to an already heavy platform (and it's a diesel!). It will understeer like crazy compared to the TBI which is a fantastic engine. That's why the TBI's hold their values. A Brera TBI is about 15k euro, but it's worth it.
I had a 2.4 Brera - gorgeous and intoxicating to look at but the 'it doesn't drive as well as it looks' is right in my opinion. To get mine right, it needed a lot of new parts, I stopped counting when the parts spent went past £1,300. I spent a lot of time rust-protecting the front subframe. I believe the best Brera is the 1.8 TBI - offered very late in the production run and very few in number. One day...
Couldn't have gone anywhere but to Ant for this. Genuinely the nicest human in the world and the only person I can say 100% that I'd trust with my car.
Definitely the best engine! Had one in my 159 at stage 1 - close to 300hp and also 60MPG! The sound from the engine at full chat was amazing! Also was my second most reliable car I've had! I miss my 159!
A 50% power gain from an engine known to be already pretty close to it's limits is a fantasy I'm afraid. Most "Stage 1 init" tunes get a 30-40bhp gain on these engines.
@@asimmalik6378 I wouldn't ever just go for a remap, without changing the breathing and at least a few other mods, EGR, DPF etc. I always thought of it as stage 1, as i didnt upgrade the turbo etc - plus the only diesel I've ever tuned so maybe stage 1.5 😂
Had the subframe issues with mine! Had it welded and powder coated. Another nice modification that's cheap is the dynamic sweeping indicator side lights. Look forward to seeing more of this!
For once, I'm completely onboard with EVERY suggestion you've made for this. Color definitely needs a respray, but don't change it or metal-flake it or whatever. The alloys are going to look amazing, especially with new rubber, and your plan for the interior should look completely appropriate for Project (BLEEP!), so well done, you guys! 😎
This, along the 159, is the best looking modern Alfa. 4C, 8C don't even come close imo. And yes, I definitely recognized it from the silhouette in the thumbnail.
I don't like the 4C it's trying too much, but man, the 8C is art on wheels in my opinion. Also, out of the Brera/159/Spider group, i think the Spider looks the best. With the top down ofc, top up it ruins it a bit.
Bah... that subframe is because of the crappy UK weather. I have one here in Italy - 18 years old and no rust. Great video. I want to improve mine a little so look forward to the results you get. Be sure to plan a road trip out here when she's done. I'm 30 mins from Ital Design.
I know this engine from the 156. It had "only" 175hp there, but that was already enough to have a lot of fun! My very first time ever going fast in a car was with this engine in a 156. I was 18 years old and borrowed the car from my father to meet with friends. And I was lucky, because it was a warm saturday evening and I had 50km of an empty german Autobahn ahead of me. And because the car had a good handling and feedback, I quickly trusted it and felt safe going fast. That was the best situation to drive 180-200kmh for the first time in my life! :)
Oooo YES ! !! ! I owned a 156 TI 2.4 20v JTDm. She was amazing.... Stage 2 it was Downpipes , Exaust + ECU Tune... This Brerra , after you make it a unique beauty, you and Hammond must drive it to Diddly Squat Farm , and Jamery must drive it.. OH IT WILL BE A UNIQUE EPISODE .... UNIQUE. Pls do it ...
I own a 2.4 brera 07 reg. It's a beautiful car it will change your life how stunning it is. Warnings, it eats through tyres as it is a heavy motor be ready to change them every 10 months or so. Do not break the window switch as finding a replacement is like trying to find the holy Grail.
I've been parted with my Brera for 6 months now and I don't think I'll ever stop regretting it. I think I spend more time looking at it than actually driving it!
Alfa Multi Valve diesels are just fantastic. I had bought brand new a special Fiscal detuned 147 in Belgium, which the main dealer took to his mate for a Stage 1 and came back with a big smile on his face. A real rocket. Did 30,000 miles on it with the biggest issue a head light bulb. Far, far faster than the BMW E46 330d convertible that I replaced it with - and far better handling. As for my E Class 350d Merc convertible, it might be quicker on paper but it is a slouch compared to a diesel JTD multi valve Alfa. I remember I was late for a ferry once, and put my foot down on an empty auto route, and was amazed that I got over 50mpg - how?? Well done - get it fixed, and you will have possibly one of the prettiest cars ever made (although I have a soft spot for the convertible) and a real rocket for a fraction of a German piece of cr*p. Shame that your not converting it in a 4WD with LSD - it would put an RS4 to shame.
I just bought a Brera 2.0 jtdm, remapped to 199hp, I love it, love the way people in traffic pull me a thumb up, people come up to me to say how beautiful car I got and stuff. I have a 156 1.9jtd for 12 years now and never had an issue with the engine and that's the reason I bought a diesel Brera. 8 must admit that you can feel how heavier it is than 156 but the looks 🥰...
Had this engine in a 156 Sportwagon. It was a cracking revvy good sounding engine for a diesel. As mentioned it is pretty light and so handled well. One issue I had was with how low the sump was - it was like a sacrificial plate on humps which unfortunately it was not designed to be. Ground through two of them. Looked at the Brera around 10 years ago but was warned off due to the number of unique parts on it that did not match anything else in the range and cost a fortune to replace
I had a 159 2.4 JTDM (210) Ti and it was one of my favourite cars. My mates told me it would be unreliable and it was the complete opposite. The only failures I had were a blow out at 70 mph (scary) and the alternator pulley came loose following a belt change. That was the mechanics fault. I also complained about the hazard lights coming on all the time when braking. The Alfa report stated "no fault" found and perhaps I should brake earlier and less hard. Ooops LOL! Other than that I drove it from new for 100,000 miles. Wonderful car! The seats were so comfortable as well.
I had one of these for a few years, the 5 cylinder diesel in Alfa red, although nearly bought a black V6 Prodrive. I loved it and thought it was a great torquey engine if a bit heavy at the front. I had to replace the water pump but otherwise had no problems. You have made me feel better that I didn’t get the v6 now, thanks!
The 159 is a stunner, the brera is a bit of a turkey. The wheelbase, overhangs, doors are all out of proportion and it has a proper saggy arse. The 159 fixes all of those problems, but needs Ti trim to be right.
The 159 has the same overhang... they are based on each other and the front is nearly the same. That does the FWD for you. A shame that Alfa went this route in the 90s and 00s. But yeah, for a FWD base, these look both very cool. And I was always more a fan of the 159, rather than the Brera.
I like some of the content you guys are doing. But putting Jeremy Clarkson on the thumbnail, titling the video and specifically mentioning Clarkson, and then him never actually showing up in the video is well... dishonest at best and nefarious at worse. Do better.
I've always loved the Berea, my father used to say "everyone should own an Alfa Romeo once, just to know how good & bad a car can be at the same time" I've owned a Sud back when I was younger, magnificent little car, Rj in Oz
Special reason why I love ALFAs, even on the thumbnail of this video, where the car is only on silhouette, you can recognise it without mistaking it for any other. I wish more cars where like this in past 20 years.
These car videos love saying that about almost any car that has some interest in it. Most people would not think this car is that great looking. I personally think it looks nice, but definitely nothing special.
I own a 159 1.9jtd Ti. Owned it 2y now and its a phenomenal car. Weak spots of these cars are wheel bearings and springs. Both my rear springs snapped and replaced them with eibach prokit springs. Aside a fee minor nicks and scratches the car is fantastic I love it
I've bought a near-mint 2010 white 1.75 TBi Brera with the light brown leather interior a few months ago. Absolutely beautiful ride, stage 1 took it to 235 BHP. I've always wanted to drive an Alfa once in my lifetime, glad that I was able to grab the Brera, a model I've always loved the look of. I don't think I'll keep it for long though, I do miss the rear wheel drive I've gotten used to of BMW's over the years, and spare parts of the TBi are relentlessly hard to get
Looking forward to seeing where this goes. But just wanna point out, you noticed the trim by headlights missing. But failed to notice that the trim for surrounding the fog lights is also missing too. And that 5 pot diesel maybe a rogue fuel choice but even standard they're fairly pokey. As my aunt owns one too also in the same blue
I love em am an Alfa owner and tried to buy one new but didn’t fit in it - headroom. All said stage 1 diesel fwd you’re going to struggle to make it put power down and handling won’t be fully solved with only coil overs.
i agree that this is probably the prettiest hatch out there. i daily a Golf, the daddy, with a vr6, but every time i see a brara, i always hurt my neck turning all the way around! looking forward to the outcome of this project
My very first car was a 2006 Alfa Brera, with the 2.2JTS engine. Bought it in 2014 for 8000 euro and had a mileage of 95.000km at the time. Up until this day i regret selling it. i loved the looks, and was actually pretty fun to drive. Also never had any technical issues
My best friend died last year, he had the 2.2 as his first car. Used to joke about wiping your feet before getting in to not dirty the shagpile carpet 😂 will never forget driving it one night while he was tipsy in the passenger seat and the lights started fading and loosing power until we come to a slow halt, had to get my own car to tow us home 😂 typical alfa issues. Love your doing this car as made me immediately think of him.
I almost bought a Brera JTDm for my channel to rebuild for 2200$ but didnt because it was a diesel. My country has annual taxes amounting to 1300$! Glad to see someone else do it though
nice to see this generation of Alfa getting support from your Channel too, i have a black 2011 159 2.0jtdm 345xxxkm with red interior and it drives amazing. love the looks of it as well one of the prettiest cars ever made in my opinion. thing to look out for with the 5 cylinder are heads can crack, a 156 5 cylinder jtd head is supposed to be stronger and a direct fit too. sills can be rusty and they trap water. easy way to check with rubber gromets on underside of the sills. wing on the inside a can rust there is a small triangle under the bonnet on either side you can look into with a light subframes and springs. gearboxes of the 2.0 jtdm are better 2010+ made 159 brera spider , and are possible to swap if i am not mistaken. the older ones have some issues which the newer ones fixes and they can handle more torque as well when tuning. clutch is a great investment when adding power as well as the DMF can Fail when adding power. timing belt had a different interval than others make sure its done in the last 7 years or 120000km sometimes glow plugs fail. pre heating waring will show then other known electrical alfa gimmicks can happen too dash lights or dials can act up sometimes a restart fixes it. but compared to older generations they are built better in lots of ways and they can draw power from the battery when left, alfa has made a clip on the negative terminal to make it easy to take off. i advise the same when leaving the car for 2 plus weeks. plenty to find on this platform. mine had been to croatia and back to Holland last year and the way they handle trough the mountain roads and the way the car speak to you while driving is amazing. hoping on a lot more kms with this pr0n machine on wheels. if you need any help looking something up let me know. hope to see lots more of videos with your alfa. Regards, Fabian
Alfa Romeo has some of the most gorgeous hatchbacks. I nearly bought a 147 Alfa 6speed diesel but couldn’t get to the owners place and couldn’t get the transfer paperwork sorted :( few months later I ended up with Fiat panda 😢 I’ll forever regret my decision of giving up as I’m in Australia and it’s harder to find 147 diesels 😢
Mike, love the video/upload. When are you and AutoAlex going to run the specced up Jag's? It would be an epic co-production, drag strip, race circuit and a road trip exceeding 1000 miles, what could possibly go wrong?
I had the 159 Sportwagon 2008 210BHP, loved thst car. I was pressurised to PX it for a 2011 BMW 3 series Touring. I hated it..the Alfa was a lovely car to live with especially with that 5 cylinder engine. Will be following this project, this Berera deserves ti be bought back to life.
Love the design of the Brera but having had a 1750tbi petrol 159 I reckon that’s the sweetest engine - although they don’t come up often so aren’t cheap and also don’t make a good noise really. That diesel packs a nice punch so I reckon you did good. I never drove a JTS V6 but the 2.2 JTS cars feel woefully slow and underpowered and I expect the V6 was disappointing - barring the Pro drive perhaps. Imagine if they’d stuck the 3.2 Busso in the Brera… we can only dream I guess.
The Brera Prodrive 2.2 is oddly, the best of the bunch. It only has a 4-Cyl and FWD, but is also the lightest and sweetest handling. The V6 AWD models are heavy, sluggish and uninspiring for anyone who actually wants a sporty drive.
@@giacomomarin2053 Maybe the 1750t is the best engine as a unit on it's own... but as a whole package, it was the 2.2 Twin Spark that ProDrive tuned for the UK market, officially sold from Alfa dealerships. Because ProDrive did a complete setup from the engine to the chassis/suspension and brakes as a completely balanced car.
As an American with an Italian car fetish (and a realistic budget), cars like this are a double kick in the groin. We don't get them new, and by the time they get old enough to import, they've either all rusted away (because Alfa) or been so lovingly cared for (or restored) that I would never be able to afford one. A forbidden love.... how Italian...
I have one of these!!! I love it so much, but it cut a hole in my bank accout. But it is so worth it when you fire it up and hear that v6 purring (even though it's not a busso). Makes me wanna drive this beauty all day. I'm gonna keep it till the day I die.
Hand a 3.2 spider in 2009. Engin blew up at 23000 miles pants timing chain drip feed fail. Don't lower it as they bottom out at standard height setting !!! 1.8 Turbo petrol best as same out put as 3.2
As someone who owned a 2.4 JTDM Brera I respectfully disagree. It did sound good for a diesel but a diesel it remains. The problem I had was I only ever did short journeys so had to regularly do the regen ok the DPF. One forced regen actually melted the rear bumper the exhausts got so hot.
One look at the headlights and I knew it was the Brera. One of my favourites. A local dealership of mine is selling one in black with the monochrome Alfa Romeo badging. ♥️
This is my dream (palpable) car, and I didn't know it was the Clarkson favorite car. Unfortunately I don't have one because they are still at 15k on my country and I will need to put it on GLP because petrol here is expensive, but I already had driven one and what I have to say is the car is not sporty, and It is a thing I love on it. It looks like a sporty car, light, snappy, uncomfortable, but it is not. It is a true GT, Smooth, comfortable, the interior is super well-made, and a car that feels safe when driving it fast. Not only that, but it is a perfect daily driver for someone that not have a child.
I fondly remember the Top Gear episode where Jeremy tested the Audi TT against Richard in a Mazda RX-8 and James in an Alfa Brera, and James was the only one who managed to convince the art gallery executives to allow his car into the gallery as an art exhibit. I wish I could view that episode again in its original BBC2 broadcast edition.
Oh yes. I had the 2010 2.0 diesel 159 Ti sportwagon in Rosso red for 4 and a half years and I absolutely loved it. Retirement meant I had to find a more frugal car and I think I nailed it with a little Honda CR-Z hybrid. It's not powerful or fast, but show it a B road and you will have a blast.
I had an '07 159 2.5 JtdM black w/tan leather and lusso rims. Loved that car, great engine, fun (manual) to drive, beautiful inside and out. It did feel a bit heavy tho'...at the time a lot of that was put down to Alfa over engineering it to address quality perception.
The colour, motor, and missing whisker grills, it's exactly the same as mine. You should have pulled the sub-frame and reconditioned it. I lanoguarded the underside of mine and it got an advisory of an oil leak at the mot. I should have warned him about the lanoguard prior to the test. Fantastic car, but the box is not as slick as I would like. But then I have an Accord that is my daily drive and hard to compete against.
A big thank you to the guys at Auto Sportivo for taking on our Brera, let's bring that 5-cylinder to life! Check out their channel here, where I drove a PROPER Busso 😉 : ruclips.net/video/tSI7hsU1wco/видео.htmlsi=fVI2Gy10DYBgrBwR
❤
I love my 147 GTA here in Canada. The Busso is truly a work of art.
Loved this video and I loved the video of the busso.
Crazy but cool idea maybe, what about converting it to 4wd?
Nonsense
I could have sworn it was only a couple of years ago I was watching the Brera on Top Gear against the TT and RX-8. I refuse to believe it was in fact over 15 years ago and I'm definitely not entering my late 30s now
It will get worse. The older you get, the faster time seems to fly… ✌️
time to get the care home room booked gramps!!
I'm 42, it's been 20 years since I followed Top Gear. I would wait for 8pm on Sunday for Final Gear to upload the torrents since we didn't get TG in America.
And you can get all 3 cars for quite cheap now, not just the Alfa. Maybe they should do a reunion? If of course they can find a working RX-8.
Note: I love the RX-8, but even I'll admit it has reliability issues.
Same, I just turned 40… man I miss Top Gear.
I like the jab at Alex about misidentifying the engine😂
Noticed that too and laughed, then laughed again when Mike called it the near side right coil/spring at 12:18
Yeah its not a real Busso. Its a an Alloytec from Holden YUCK
I got a stupidly cheap 2007 Brera Spider 5 pot diesel last year with a "small" oil leak. Two warnings - the oil pump is not available ANYWHERE and I currently have the last new gasket in the UK after spending weeks trying to track one down.
The oil pickup mesh had disintegrated and trashed the oil pump then thrown the contents up into the engine.
Luckily I have a second engine with a working pump that I'm fitting currently.
I would advise you check the subframe (they're over £1500 second hand in good condition), get it welded up, shot blasted and powder coated and then get the pan off and check the bearings and oil pump/pickup as soon as you can as a preventative so you don't end up in the same situation!
Good luck Mike! 🤞🏻
odd, as its a pretty common engine , Fiat had cars with it and the 159 sold very well so there are plenty 2.4 on the road still.
@@andregoncalves5100 Exactly, and also since it was part of the GM concern back in the day already you should find more than enough spare parts while looking into the engine code.
Love the collaboration with the Auto Sportivo chaps . They’re hilarious and genuinely nice people. Be great to see their channel get a boost it deserves
factory ,builted for brera in italy is abadoned
I love that you guys do normal cars, you could be doing stuff way out of reach for most people but you keep everything grounded I'm sure a lot of younger people will be inspired by these builds
This was my dream car in college. Unfortunately it never made it to the USA, but I spent hours on their website looking through specs and options. I wanted the diesel engine version with AWD and manual transmission in either this blue or a dark grey. I will be watching this build with immense interest and immeasurable jealousy.
They took the greatest engine ever made, the Alfa v6 and put a general motors 3.2 v6 in it. Mental
Alfa had a little tweak with it and upped the bhp. Don't know about other power or ratio figures.
But as a Brera 3.2 owner, I can honestly say I love this engine & car combo!
Busso didn't meet Euro 5 sadly.
That’s EU regulations for you as its best 😂
Source: Trust me bro 🤡
@@MdvK-d6c The block is General Motors (Holden) but the head was mad from scratch from alfa. The top hp one had 260, but a lot of people complained it felt much slower, in fact at medium on a dyno they clock at 220... but whit a little tune, a more open exhaust and a better intake it can easy go past 260. "Unfortunately" it's quite an heavy girl, 1.6 tons... but if u go check mk4 supra weight is actually at 1.6 . Is a strange mix between a sport's car and a gt. U can enjoy corners, bit ull never take them as fast as a fully fledge sports car, but u got the long rides comfort, so yeah. This is a car for a niche of people, who don't mind some broke stuff and electrical errors 😂😂
I must have watched a little too many Top Gear episodes not to expect a piano from the sky...
The thing that i like about the Brera and even the 8C is that the design stayed true to the original concept cars, Alfas may be unreliable at times but man do they look beautiful
The concept Brera actually had scissor doors and did look a bit different
@@Lee_Pitcher I almost did mention that lol but what a cooler car the production Brera would have been if it had those!
All show and no go, huh?😂
Honestly, I think the unreliability reputation is somewhat overblown rather than reality. I have a manual 147 since 2010 and it's been solid outside of wear an tear and an abusive Australian sun. It's been as reliable as other cars (Toyota, GM makes etc) that I've owned or friends and relatives have had over the years. That said, I wouldn't buy the first model of any car generally until any kinks have been straightened out.
@@Lanxe yeah I guess it depends on the model tbf I've heard that certain models are reliable if kept maintained well
drove one at launch and so wanted to love it after owning two Busso engined Alfas. Drove the (standard) diesel which made awful noises when prodded. The handling was uninspiring, no real steering feel or noticeable feel through the seat of my pants. Still gorgeous inside and out.
Turns out it was a pig in knickers.
Finally an Alfa Romeo on the channel.
I'm from the US and was never really exposed to Alfa's until recent years. I will agree, this has one of the best rear ends of any hatchback. I'm very excited to see where this car ends up. I would love ripping this thing around some English country roads. Please, post more soon!
They've made some fantastic cars over the years, but have managed to remain fairly niche globally. Rest assured, there's lots more content to come with this one, including ripping it around some English country roads! 😉
I had the modified 210 bhp version. Chiptuning to 250 bhp with 500 nm torque. Man that Brera was fast!!! Loved that beauty!!!
First thing I would recommend doing is changing the suspension to a set of KW or Bilstein coilovers. Transforms the handling.
Because yours is a 2007 model (referred to as pre-facelift) it doesn't feature any of the weight saving changes that the Brera underwent around 2008/2009 when the Prodrive model was introduced. What lots of people aren't aware of is that the Prodrive weight savings were applicable to all facelift Breras, not just the Brera S. For example, the later cars had aluminium suspension uprights instead of steel.
FYI, a big weakness of the 2.4 jtdm is the heads cracking. There appears to be a shortage of second hand heads in circulation now too.
Gorgeous car. As a former Alfa owner I love this. Will follow this project with as much passion that any Alfa deserves.
Get in touch - have complete brand new suspension for Brera 2.4 5 cyl (KW3, all new OEM suspension bolts, drop links, poly bushes etc).
Refurbished 20" Alfa wheels with new tyres etc
This was a car I genuinely wanted back when I was younger, and you've just unlocked a level of nostalgia I didn't know I had. Again I find myself wanting a Brera, and I think I need it too ;)
Having owned a bera for 3 years and 60,000 miles I can tell you that a cheap brera will be expensive. Mine was very reliable but the small parts that did break were ridiculous prices. £200 for a window switch, £300 for a regulator, £450 per side for tail lights that will eventually condensate
That's the thing with Alfas...there's a reason they are cheap usually to buy. I had a very well maintained Alfa GT 1.9 during only 1 year and a half and every month I found some new thing wrong with it. And as you say, parts/maintenance is expensive (belt to be replaced every 3 years? I'm guessing on this 2.4 also), they break often and some parts you cannot even find, as these cars get older and there aren't many of them around. Ended up selling it and buying an MX-5 NC - nothing wrong so far, and more fun on mountain roads where I use it most. Alfa was a beautiful car and nice to drive on motorways, I loved it, but peace of mind beats looks all day 😃
£200 for the wimdow switch? That must be the passengers? Driver door ones have become so rare to find one where the mirrors actually work and even the broken ones were £400 when I wanted one. I love Brera's I really do but what I dislike strongly is Alfa Romeo's production of spare parts ending after 6 minutes of building the cars. I was lucky in my ownership but that's likely ebcause I never drove it. Using a Brera daily is a risky venture lol
The same with cheap 916s (Spider). They are usually pretty reliable, but mine was kind of a barn find (parked for 10 years) and there are a lot of small issues. Steering rack 1300€, cw boots 400€, rear badge 150€,cam position sensor with installation 600€... don't buy a cheap Alfa. Pay a little more for a nice one
@@plxton it was drivers side a few years ago now, I ended up buying a secondhand passenger one and stripping it to repair my drivers side one
My first car in South Africa in 1996 was a 1983 model Alfa Sud 1.5 Superhatch...it was given to me with a broken engine (cambelt failure equaled bent valves)...it had been standing for 5 years when I took possession of her (I named her "Delorus")
It took me nearly a year to re-do the interior myself and save up the money to get her resprayed and get an engine transplant...all in all it was cheaper than buying a new car back then...
I drove her for 2 years...she was temperamental (wouldn`t start after a Johannesburg afternoon thunderstorm, she would during, but not after for some strange reason) but so much fun to drive and throw around corners, she got myself and a few friends to college to get my qualification in Graphic Design...I sold her for R3000.00 in 1999 and still miss her...
I had one of these for just over a year, I needed an economical car but didn't want something boring. Looked gorgeous and had a diesel engine with character. And it was great on long journeys, so comfortable and was surprisingly economical despite the engine size, would definitely have another one
absolutely love this, my dad used to have a 159 with that same engine. he had a wizard exhaust on it so it sounded really good for a diesel. please make sure you change the tacky black badges, and either the 19 inch pro drives, 19 inch 159 ti wheels or even 18 inch 5 hole wheels would really set the car off
Im actually so excited for this, a lot of people dont give the proper opportunity to alfas due to bad reputation but as any other car all it takes is for people look after their cars. Ive owned ffom a GT, a 147 Q2 sport, now owning 2x giuliettas (petrol and diesel) and honestly for you to be a petrolhead you need go own one! Cant wait for whats to come!
Hi from Sydney. I had a 2008 red Brera a couple of years ago but had to sell it as a relatives empty garage was no longer available to keep it. It was the base model JTS 4 cyl petrol and no rocket ship but still lovely to drive. I regret selling it every day. When new it would have cost A$65K which would have got you three Toyotas Corollas! So no wonder they didn’t sell many. I will be watching this series with interest to see how it turns out.
For the 159-family cars it's either the 1.8L turbo petrol or the turbo diesels above 1.9L
The platform is so heavy that Fiat Corse (former Abarth) canned thr 159 touring car project after they couldn't meddle with suspension geometry far enough to make it corner properly. A V8 engined 159 GTAm was tested on a mule but who knows how that drives
I had 156 and 159. 159 was way, waaaaay worse car. It was pointlessly heavy, especially in the front. It was too long and never felt right on any type of roads.
@@unlearningcommunism4742 unfortunately that platform was developed at Saab with an eye on the American market, but it only went under Alfa Romeos, as Saab, Cadillac, Opel and Buick chose the epsilon instead, and luckily the MK3 Delta was diverted to the Fiat C2 platform
Just yesterday I saw one in Canada (I'm in the US) for 14 K Canadian so to me 1700 is not bad. We never got this car here in the US and for years it has been my favorite hatch. Can't wait to see the end result. Great video.
Putting this comment here, like it so there’s no spoilers for the video.
That dosnt work on mobile now
Knew it would be an Alfa
Thank you, it works
@@EvanLeonDawodthanks for spoiling it
The engine to have on this platform is the Turbo Benzina 1.75 TBI. Yes, the 2.4 will have more torque but it's about 150 kg more on the front axle and adds up to an already heavy platform (and it's a diesel!).
It will understeer like crazy compared to the TBI which is a fantastic engine. That's why the TBI's hold their values. A Brera TBI is about 15k euro, but it's worth it.
1:38 was waiting for some shade thrown Alex' way, didn't take long 👌
I had a 2.4 Brera - gorgeous and intoxicating to look at but the 'it doesn't drive as well as it looks' is right in my opinion. To get mine right, it needed a lot of new parts, I stopped counting when the parts spent went past £1,300. I spent a lot of time rust-protecting the front subframe. I believe the best Brera is the 1.8 TBI - offered very late in the production run and very few in number. One day...
I Adore this car thats why i own one, a 2011 Brera ti 1750 tbi in black. Its not exactly fast , but it makes me feel special every single time
Couldn't have gone anywhere but to Ant for this. Genuinely the nicest human in the world and the only person I can say 100% that I'd trust with my car.
Definitely the best engine! Had one in my 159 at stage 1 - close to 300hp and also 60MPG! The sound from the engine at full chat was amazing! Also was my second most reliable car I've had! I miss my 159!
A 50% power gain from an engine known to be already pretty close to it's limits is a fantasy I'm afraid. Most "Stage 1 init" tunes get a 30-40bhp gain on these engines.
@@asimmalik6378 You don't know what you're talking about mate!
A Gus re-map with supporting mods easily 280, probably more
@@stemlegends2986 "Supporting mods" is not stage 1 pal
@@asimmalik6378 I wouldn't ever just go for a remap, without changing the breathing and at least a few other mods, EGR, DPF etc. I always thought of it as stage 1, as i didnt upgrade the turbo etc - plus the only diesel I've ever tuned so maybe stage 1.5 😂
Had the subframe issues with mine! Had it welded and powder coated. Another nice modification that's cheap is the dynamic sweeping indicator side lights. Look forward to seeing more of this!
I saw the silhouette and knew it was a Brera. I used this a lot in Forza 3
For once, I'm completely onboard with EVERY suggestion you've made for this. Color definitely needs a respray, but don't change it or metal-flake it or whatever. The alloys are going to look amazing, especially with new rubber, and your plan for the interior should look completely appropriate for Project (BLEEP!), so well done, you guys! 😎
This, along the 159, is the best looking modern Alfa. 4C, 8C don't even come close imo. And yes, I definitely recognized it from the silhouette in the thumbnail.
I don't like the 4C it's trying too much, but man, the 8C is art on wheels in my opinion. Also, out of the Brera/159/Spider group, i think the Spider looks the best. With the top down ofc, top up it ruins it a bit.
Bah... that subframe is because of the crappy UK weather. I have one here in Italy - 18 years old and no rust.
Great video. I want to improve mine a little so look forward to the results you get. Be sure to plan a road trip out here when she's done. I'm 30 mins from Ital Design.
Love the new project, and a fan of the Diesel 5cyl choice too. I’m looking forward to the progress updates on this one
Thanks for watching, we're glad you approve! There's plenty more to come on this one.
I know this engine from the 156. It had "only" 175hp there, but that was already enough to have a lot of fun! My very first time ever going fast in a car was with this engine in a 156. I was 18 years old and borrowed the car from my father to meet with friends. And I was lucky, because it was a warm saturday evening and I had 50km of an empty german Autobahn ahead of me. And because the car had a good handling and feedback, I quickly trusted it and felt safe going fast. That was the best situation to drive 180-200kmh for the first time in my life! :)
Now this is gonna be a great series ❤
Mike has come so far as a presenter. This was excellent!
Prodrive solved this problem already. The Brera S. Just find the diff, suspension and steering bits off of that. Or get upgrade parts for an S.
Oooo YES ! !! !
I owned a 156 TI 2.4 20v JTDm. She was amazing.... Stage 2 it was Downpipes , Exaust + ECU Tune...
This Brerra , after you make it a unique beauty, you and Hammond must drive it to Diddly Squat Farm , and Jamery must drive it.. OH IT WILL BE A UNIQUE EPISODE .... UNIQUE. Pls do it ...
do a Dyno run before and after so we can see all the improvements
This car is beautiful and that 5-cylinder diesel is great. Stoked for the tribe to have this car and be planning to restore/update it. Cool!
Always went for the Brera when starting Need for speed Carbon.
Wow nostalgia kicking in there
I own a 2.4 brera 07 reg. It's a beautiful car it will change your life how stunning it is. Warnings, it eats through tyres as it is a heavy motor be ready to change them every 10 months or so. Do not break the window switch as finding a replacement is like trying to find the holy Grail.
I've been parted with my Brera for 6 months now and I don't think I'll ever stop regretting it. I think I spend more time looking at it than actually driving it!
Alfa Multi Valve diesels are just fantastic.
I had bought brand new a special Fiscal detuned 147 in Belgium, which the main dealer took to his mate for a Stage 1 and came back with a big smile on his face. A real rocket. Did 30,000 miles on it with the biggest issue a head light bulb. Far, far faster than the BMW E46 330d convertible that I replaced it with - and far better handling. As for my E Class 350d Merc convertible, it might be quicker on paper but it is a slouch compared to a diesel JTD multi valve Alfa.
I remember I was late for a ferry once, and put my foot down on an empty auto route, and was amazed that I got over 50mpg - how??
Well done - get it fixed, and you will have possibly one of the prettiest cars ever made (although I have a soft spot for the convertible) and a real rocket for a fraction of a German piece of cr*p.
Shame that your not converting it in a 4WD with LSD - it would put an RS4 to shame.
100% correct engine choice Mike. Looking forward to seeing it's progress. Definitely try and get the tan interior though.
I just bought a Brera 2.0 jtdm, remapped to 199hp, I love it, love the way people in traffic pull me a thumb up, people come up to me to say how beautiful car I got and stuff. I have a 156 1.9jtd for 12 years now and never had an issue with the engine and that's the reason I bought a diesel Brera. 8 must admit that you can feel how heavier it is than 156 but the looks 🥰...
I bet around 50% of American cars currently on the road would fail a UK MOT inspection.
oh ofc, my straight piped celica would never make it through
50% might be a stretch
Had this engine in a 156 Sportwagon. It was a cracking revvy good sounding engine for a diesel. As mentioned it is pretty light and so handled well. One issue I had was with how low the sump was - it was like a sacrificial plate on humps which unfortunately it was not designed to be. Ground through two of them. Looked at the Brera around 10 years ago but was warned off due to the number of unique parts on it that did not match anything else in the range and cost a fortune to replace
My favorite part in this video is how it has nothing to do with Clarkson, but you've gone ahead and included him in the thumbnail anyway. Bravo!
Pretty sure clarksons a shareholder
I had a 159 2.4 JTDM (210) Ti and it was one of my favourite cars. My mates told me it would be unreliable and it was the complete opposite. The only failures I had were a blow out at 70 mph (scary) and the alternator pulley came loose following a belt change. That was the mechanics fault. I also complained about the hazard lights coming on all the time when braking. The Alfa report stated "no fault" found and perhaps I should brake earlier and less hard. Ooops LOL! Other than that I drove it from new for 100,000 miles. Wonderful car! The seats were so comfortable as well.
Put the gtv v6 3L in that and you have a legend
I had one of these for a few years, the 5 cylinder diesel in Alfa red, although nearly bought a black V6 Prodrive. I loved it and thought it was a great torquey engine if a bit heavy at the front. I had to replace the water pump but otherwise had no problems. You have made me feel better that I didn’t get the v6 now, thanks!
The 159 is a stunner, the brera is a bit of a turkey. The wheelbase, overhangs, doors are all out of proportion and it has a proper saggy arse. The 159 fixes all of those problems, but needs Ti trim to be right.
Thoroughly disagree, the Brera is the better looking one imo.
Agreed, the comedically ginormous overhangs just make it look all wrong I'm afraid and ruin the whole look they were trying to achieve.
The 159 has the same overhang... they are based on each other and the front is nearly the same. That does the FWD for you. A shame that Alfa went this route in the 90s and 00s.
But yeah, for a FWD base, these look both very cool. And I was always more a fan of the 159, rather than the Brera.
I had a 159 with the 2.4 JTDM engine….it was a brilliant car. Loved it
I like some of the content you guys are doing.
But putting Jeremy Clarkson on the thumbnail, titling the video and specifically mentioning Clarkson, and then him never actually showing up in the video is well... dishonest at best and nefarious at worse.
Do better.
I've always loved the Berea, my father used to say "everyone should own an Alfa Romeo once, just to know how good & bad a car can be at the same time" I've owned a Sud back when I was younger, magnificent little car, Rj in Oz
Lancia Delta HF Integrale is a better looking hatchback 🤷🏻♂️
Special reason why I love ALFAs, even on the thumbnail of this video, where the car is only on silhouette, you can recognise it without mistaking it for any other. I wish more cars where like this in past 20 years.
....anyone else thinking it'll be Mike Fernie and Autoalex in a boxing ring at some point?
Was looking around to see if anyone else had that thought!
I had a 156 with the 2.5L JTD 5 cylinder. Such a great engine. Always loved the Brera and never got the opportunity to own one. Such a pretty car
Everyone always say this is like the prettiest car in history, and then there's me who thinks it's an absolute pig 😂
These car videos love saying that about almost any car that has some interest in it. Most people would not think this car is that great looking. I personally think it looks nice, but definitely nothing special.
I own a 159 1.9jtd Ti. Owned it 2y now and its a phenomenal car. Weak spots of these cars are wheel bearings and springs. Both my rear springs snapped and replaced them with eibach prokit springs. Aside a fee minor nicks and scratches the car is fantastic I love it
this gonna go against taylor?
I've bought a near-mint 2010 white 1.75 TBi Brera with the light brown leather interior a few months ago. Absolutely beautiful ride, stage 1 took it to 235 BHP. I've always wanted to drive an Alfa once in my lifetime, glad that I was able to grab the Brera, a model I've always loved the look of.
I don't think I'll keep it for long though, I do miss the rear wheel drive I've gotten used to of BMW's over the years, and spare parts of the TBi are relentlessly hard to get
I’ve got the same car and my daily is a Giulia which is rear wheel drive. Sorted!
So basically, you put Jemery's photo on the thumbnail as a clickbait... classy
Looking forward to seeing where this goes. But just wanna point out, you noticed the trim by headlights missing. But failed to notice that the trim for surrounding the fog lights is also missing too. And that 5 pot diesel maybe a rogue fuel choice but even standard they're fairly pokey. As my aunt owns one too also in the same blue
Well done guys, I love the Brera and agree that the best engine to have is the 2.4 diesel. Am looking forward to seeing it all tidied up. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I love em am an Alfa owner and tried to buy one new but didn’t fit in it - headroom. All said stage 1 diesel fwd you’re going to struggle to make it put power down and handling won’t be fully solved with only coil overs.
I have a Brera Pro Drive 2.2. Best car I’ve owned. Real head turner and it’s great to be one of the only people on the area to have one.
i agree that this is probably the prettiest hatch out there. i daily a Golf, the daddy, with a vr6, but every time i see a brara, i always hurt my neck turning all the way around! looking forward to the outcome of this project
My very first car was a 2006 Alfa Brera, with the 2.2JTS engine. Bought it in 2014 for 8000 euro and had a mileage of 95.000km at the time.
Up until this day i regret selling it. i loved the looks, and was actually pretty fun to drive. Also never had any technical issues
My best friend died last year, he had the 2.2 as his first car. Used to joke about wiping your feet before getting in to not dirty the shagpile carpet 😂
will never forget driving it one night while he was tipsy in the passenger seat and the lights started fading and loosing power until we come to a slow halt, had to get my own car to tow us home 😂 typical alfa issues. Love your doing this car as made me immediately think of him.
I almost bought a Brera JTDm for my channel to rebuild for 2200$ but didnt because it was a diesel. My country has annual taxes amounting to 1300$! Glad to see someone else do it though
nice to see this generation of Alfa getting support from your Channel too, i have a black 2011 159 2.0jtdm 345xxxkm with red interior and it drives amazing. love the looks of it as well one of the prettiest cars ever made in my opinion.
thing to look out for with the 5 cylinder are heads can crack, a 156 5 cylinder jtd head is supposed to be stronger and a direct fit too.
sills can be rusty and they trap water. easy way to check with rubber gromets on underside of the sills.
wing on the inside a can rust there is a small triangle under the bonnet on either side you can look into with a light
subframes and springs.
gearboxes of the 2.0 jtdm are better 2010+ made 159 brera spider , and are possible to swap if i am not mistaken. the older ones have some issues which the newer ones fixes and they can handle more torque as well when tuning.
clutch is a great investment when adding power as well as the DMF can Fail when adding power.
timing belt had a different interval than others make sure its done in the last 7 years or 120000km
sometimes glow plugs fail. pre heating waring will show then
other known electrical alfa gimmicks can happen too dash lights or dials can act up sometimes a restart fixes it. but compared to older generations they are built better in lots of ways
and they can draw power from the battery when left, alfa has made a clip on the negative terminal to make it easy to take off. i advise the same when leaving the car for 2 plus weeks.
plenty to find on this platform.
mine had been to croatia and back to Holland last year and the way they handle trough the mountain roads and the way the car speak to you while driving is amazing. hoping on a lot more kms with this pr0n machine on wheels. if you need any help looking something up let me know.
hope to see lots more of videos with your alfa.
Regards,
Fabian
Alfa Romeo has some of the most gorgeous hatchbacks. I nearly bought a 147 Alfa 6speed diesel but couldn’t get to the owners place and couldn’t get the transfer paperwork sorted :( few months later I ended up with Fiat panda 😢 I’ll forever regret my decision of giving up as I’m in Australia and it’s harder to find 147 diesels 😢
Mike, love the video/upload. When are you and AutoAlex going to run the specced up Jag's? It would be an epic co-production, drag strip, race circuit and a road trip exceeding 1000 miles, what could possibly go wrong?
I had the 159 Sportwagon 2008 210BHP, loved thst car. I was pressurised to PX it for a 2011 BMW 3 series Touring. I hated it..the Alfa was a lovely car to live with especially with that 5 cylinder engine. Will be following this project, this Berera deserves ti be bought back to life.
I really love how Drivetribe keeping the culture alive with the trio love it...!
drivetribe is now 100% hamster's
Love the design of the Brera but having had a 1750tbi petrol 159 I reckon that’s the sweetest engine - although they don’t come up often so aren’t cheap and also don’t make a good noise really. That diesel packs a nice punch so I reckon you did good. I never drove a JTS V6 but the 2.2 JTS cars feel woefully slow and underpowered and I expect the V6 was disappointing - barring the Pro drive perhaps. Imagine if they’d stuck the 3.2 Busso in the Brera… we can only dream I guess.
The Brera Prodrive 2.2 is oddly, the best of the bunch. It only has a 4-Cyl and FWD, but is also the lightest and sweetest handling. The V6 AWD models are heavy, sluggish and uninspiring for anyone who actually wants a sporty drive.
Sorry, the 1750 turbo engine was the best in the Brera.
@@giacomomarin2053 Maybe the 1750t is the best engine as a unit on it's own... but as a whole package, it was the 2.2 Twin Spark that ProDrive tuned for the UK market, officially sold from Alfa dealerships. Because ProDrive did a complete setup from the engine to the chassis/suspension and brakes as a completely balanced car.
The Brera S Prodrive had the same Idea in 2008 and made an attempt to fixs the handling :)
i've always loved the aggressive front on the brera and the 159. i dont think i prefer the brera over the 159, but it is a wonderful looking car
As an American with an Italian car fetish (and a realistic budget), cars like this are a double kick in the groin. We don't get them new, and by the time they get old enough to import, they've either all rusted away (because Alfa) or been so lovingly cared for (or restored) that I would never be able to afford one.
A forbidden love.... how Italian...
I have one of these!!! I love it so much, but it cut a hole in my bank accout. But it is so worth it when you fire it up and hear that v6 purring (even though it's not a busso). Makes me wanna drive this beauty all day. I'm gonna keep it till the day I die.
Hand a 3.2 spider in 2009. Engin blew up at 23000 miles pants timing chain drip feed fail. Don't lower it as they bottom out at standard height setting !!! 1.8 Turbo petrol best as same out put as 3.2
As someone who owned a 2.4 JTDM Brera I respectfully disagree. It did sound good for a diesel but a diesel it remains. The problem I had was I only ever did short journeys so had to regularly do the regen ok the DPF. One forced regen actually melted the rear bumper the exhausts got so hot.
One look at the headlights and I knew it was the Brera. One of my favourites. A local dealership of mine is selling one in black with the monochrome Alfa Romeo badging. ♥️
This is my dream (palpable) car, and I didn't know it was the Clarkson favorite car. Unfortunately I don't have one because they are still at 15k on my country and I will need to put it on GLP because petrol here is expensive, but I already had driven one and what I have to say is the car is not sporty, and It is a thing I love on it. It looks like a sporty car, light, snappy, uncomfortable, but it is not. It is a true GT, Smooth, comfortable, the interior is super well-made, and a car that feels safe when driving it fast. Not only that, but it is a perfect daily driver for someone that not have a child.
I fondly remember the Top Gear episode where Jeremy tested the Audi TT against Richard in a Mazda RX-8 and James in an Alfa Brera, and James was the only one who managed to convince the art gallery executives to allow his car into the gallery as an art exhibit. I wish I could view that episode again in its original BBC2 broadcast edition.
Love it, can't wait to see what you do with it. And what BHP you get.
Oh yes. I had the 2010 2.0 diesel 159 Ti sportwagon in Rosso red for 4 and a half years and I absolutely loved it. Retirement meant I had to find a more frugal car and I think I nailed it with a little Honda CR-Z hybrid. It's not powerful or fast, but show it a B road and you will have a blast.
Yay love these! Almost bought one this summer. You have a great plan ahead, can’t wait to see the updates!
I had an '07 159 2.5 JtdM black w/tan leather and lusso rims. Loved that car, great engine, fun (manual) to drive, beautiful inside and out. It did feel a bit heavy tho'...at the time a lot of that was put down to Alfa over engineering it to address quality perception.
The colour, motor, and missing whisker grills, it's exactly the same as mine. You should have pulled the sub-frame and reconditioned it. I lanoguarded the underside of mine and it got an advisory of an oil leak at the mot. I should have warned him about the lanoguard prior to the test. Fantastic car, but the box is not as slick as I would like. But then I have an Accord that is my daily drive and hard to compete against.