Alfa Romeo is launching a new, Prodrive-engineered version of the Brera coupe and cabriolet to address criticism of the standard car’s handling. Developed ‘specifically for UK roads’ by Prodrive, the Brera S will be available with either 185bhp 2.2-litre or a 260bhp V6 petrol engines. The car has the same power as a standard Brera, with changes made to the suspension, styling and interior. There’s also a new exhaust system that gives a more aggressive engine note.Prodrive has developed new springs and dampers for the car to suit UK roads and driving styles. The tuning company claims that roll and pitch have been cut to make the car corner flatter and make it feel more agile, and the ride height had been lowered by 10mm to cut the centre of gravity. New, lighter 19-inch wheels along with hollow anti-roll bars and aluminium suspension components help to reduce unsprung mass.“The car is deliberately honed, tuned and fettled for British roads and aimed directly at a dedicated audience of driving enthusiasts,” said Alfa UK’s MD, Nicholas Bernard.Inside there’s a new ‘dark finish’ trim option for the centre console and the V6 version gets a leather dashboard as standard. The headrest carries an inset, limited edition Brera S aluminium plate.The modifications are unique to the UK market and are carried out by Prodrive at Alfa Romeo’s import centre in Bristol on cars straight off the boat from Italy. Performance is unaffected by the changes - top speed for the 2.2 is still 139mph, with a 0-62mph time of 8.6sec. The V6’s top speed remains 155mph with a 0-62mph time of 7.0sec.500 Brera S models will be built, and prices start at £24,995 for the 2.2 JTS (£1495 more than the standard car) rising to £28,450 for the V6 (a £1455 premium).
