Earlier this year, Alfa Romeo brought both the Brera and the floorpan-sharing 159 saloon to the UK market in slightly incomplete form, with the most intriguing drivetrain missing from each range. The more recent launch of the 159 Sportwagon coincided with the introduction of something a little more exciting than the four- or five-cylinder engines of between 1.9 and 2.4 litres combined with front-wheel drive.Each of these ranges, including the Brera we've chosen as the example here, now includes the most powerful engine found in any of these cars. It's a 3.2-litre V6 producing a maximum of 260bhp, and it comes exclusively with Alfa's Q4 four-wheel drive transmission. For all the merits of the lesser cars, this one has by a long way the most exciting set-up on paper.Big V6s are just as much part of Alfa's tradition as the more common four-cylinder screamers, and Alfa describes the latest version as being both a "significant departure" from and a "natural evolution" of the previous unit. One sad aspect of it is immediately apparent, and it's not Alfa's fault - increasingly stiff noise legislation over recent years has completed its dirty work and reduced the typically soul-stirring howl of a strong Italian six to a sort of background whirr.I realise that one mustn't frighten the horses in these times of political correctness, but I do miss the old days when redlining an Alfa V6 made it sound as if a very angry symphony orchestra was trying to escape from under the bonnet. Pass me another Lambrusco and leave me with my memories.The great thing about revving those older engines for the sonic fun of it was that you also experienced them at their best. Despite their size, they were never all that impressive in the mid-range, and only really woke up as you headed towards 7000rpm. The new unit is designed to get round this - there's 20bhp more power than there was in the previous 3.2 V6, but there's an 11% increase in maximum torque, and 90% of that torque is available from 1800rpm to 6250rpm.These seem like impressive numbers, but comparing the V6 with another Alfa engine gives a different result. The 2.4 JTD turbo diesel has a lower peak power figure than the V6, but it has much greater torque, and it produces the bulk of it at less than half the engine speed (2000rpm instead of 4500rpm). This is the arithmetic justification of something you can feel for yourself if you drive the two cars - in the real world, the diesel feels quicker, even though the V6 takes 1.5 seconds less to get from rest to 62mph.The V6 sounds muffled, and it feels it too; not just in a straight line but also in its handling. Perhaps I was expecting too much, but I really thought, having driven other Breras and 159s, that the V6 would feel like a completely different car: sharper, more responsive, a thoroughbred to be driven with a light touch.In fact, it just feels like a Brera with a bigger engine. The slightly underdamped front end, characteristic of every Brera or 159 I've driven, is still apparent here. Thanks to the Q4 system, grip isn't an issue, since only a small proportion of the 260bhp is going through the front wheels. No torque steer here, then.By "small proportion" I mean "less than half", since the Q4 is set up to provide a 43/57 front-rear split (that's the standard setting - it varies between 22/78 and 72/28 according to road conditions). Most of the time it gives a good balance of grip, with no suggestion that either end is struggling to keep up with the other.Alfa says that there is a slight tendency towards oversteer on the limit. What this means is that if you were hammering round a test track you could reduce the amount of steering lock on fast corners as the rear contributed a little more than its share of cornering action.I dare say this is true, but there's a big difference between going flat out on a test track and driving quickly on the road. To get the oversteer effect you would need an entry speed that would be quite inappropriate on the public highway. Unless you're going to use the Brera on track days, you're more likely to find a hint of understeer on quick corners, but the overall impression is of good balance and neutral handling.Features carried over from other Breras are the wonderful-looking front end, the intriguing interior design, the dreadful rear visibility and the complete uselessness of the rear seats. As with the other cars in the range, there are two trim levels, the better-equipped SV having an £1100 premium over the £28,700 standard specification. There is the usual range of options, of which one to avoid is the set of 18" wheels with low-profile tyres; they look great, but the ride is better on the standard 17s. Engine 3195 cc, 6 cylinders Power 260 bhp @6300 rpm Torque 238 ib/ft @4500 rpm Transmission 6 speed semi-auto Fuel/CO2 23.2 mpg / 289 g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 7sec Top speed 149 mph Price From £29656.00 approx Release date 07/02/2007
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