Italian Alfa Romeo and British Prodrive have together developed a UK only special edition for the Alfa Romeo Brera Coupe, called the Alfa Brera S. Prodrive is of course best known for their WRC successes and their recent close involvement with the Aston Martin sale to Prodrive owner David Richards, and has developed a new suspension for the recently facelifted Brera coupe.

The Alfa Romeo Brera S will be limited to just 500 units. Pricing and specifications will be revealed at its launch on May 19 2008 but Alfa Romeo has let slip that the car will feature exterior and interior enhancements besides the Prodrive suspension. The two existing petrol engines (185 bhp 2.2 liter four-cylinder and 260 bhp 3.2 liter V6) in standard specifications will be powering the new Brera.

According to Prodrive Project Leader, Peter Cambridge, the collaboration has “built on the existing model’s capabilities to deliver outstanding driver feedback and handling.” Stay tuned for further details or check www.breras.co.uk.

As we reported earlier, Alfa Romeo handed over its Brera to Prodrive, which has extensively honed the hot hatch into what's being called the Brera S. Prodrive fit the new Brera S with Eibach coil springs and Bilstein dampers, and then conducted extensive testing to find the right balance of spring and damper rates for sharper handling without ruining the ride. The steering was also tweaked to take advantage of the car's faster reflexes, and 8C Competizione-inspired lightweight 19-inch alloy wheels wearing Pirelli rubber keep the car affixed to terra firma. Along with lighter wheels, hollow anti-roll bars and aluminum suspension components further reduce the car's weight below the rest of the Brera range. Exterior mods are minimal, but the exhaust has been reworked and is capped with chrome tips featuring Prodrive's logo, and there are now Prodrive-branded mud flaps up front and either 'S' or 'SV6' badges on the C-pillar. The Brera S has also been fitted with new seats that, along with the dashboard, door panels, steering wheel and gear shift, feature red stitching. There are drilled aluminum pedals for your footsies and a limited-edition Brera S aluminum plate featuring the flags of each company's home country (Italy and Britain) is located in the headrest recess. The Brera S package can be had with either the 2.2 JTS model powered by a 185bhp four-cylinder or the 3.2 JTS V6 powered by a 260bhp V6, though only 500 will be made. We'd love to have one but suspect they'll all be acquired by the time Alfa Romeo gets around to selling cars in the U.S. again.

Designed by Giugiaro, the Alfa Brera immediately catches the eye with unmistakeable "Italian elegance" and its absolutely unique, incomparable style, offering sporting performance fully in keeping with Alfa Romeo tradition. The soft, flowing lines and steeply tapering front and rear combine to give the car a very compact appearance.

It is also flush with intelligent solutions, such as the large glass roof that makes the cabin wonderfully bright and gives passengers a sensation of space, as well as giving the car an even sleeker look.

Interior

Superb comfort, practicality and attention to detail, for incredible driving pleasure. A coupe designed to thrill. The compact exterior gives way to a roomy interior, where passenger comfort is the watchword, thanks to the solutions used: the instruments are turned towards the drive and grouped together logically. The central unit houses the climate control system, radio, navigator, gear lever and ignition button. The spacious luggage compartment has a capacity of 300 liters, rising to 610 when the rear seats are folded down.

Safety & Control

Road-holding and absolute safety in all conditions. 90 years of technology for an uncompromising driving pleasure. To ensure the maximum control, the Alfa Brera adopts a sophisticated suspension setup with high double wishbones at the front and Multilink at the rear. The braking system has four discs with 4-channel ABS with EBD and Brake Assist. The Alfa Brera also uses the most advanced electronic active safety devices available: VDC for stability control, ASR to prevent wheel slip, MSR in the event of abrupt downshifts in low grip conditions, and Hill Holder for easier hill starts.

Engines

Innovative, powerful and elastic engines, capable of stirring the emotions and offering the utmost driving pleasure.

The Alfa Brera comes with a choice of two petrol engines and one diesel, all Euro 4 compliant.

With its 260 bhp, the new 3.2 JTS V6 is the most powerful engine in the entire Alfa Romeo range. And for the first on this type of engine, it adopts the exclusive Twin Phaser system for varying the opening angle of the valves. The 3.2 JTS V6 is also available with the 6-speed Q-Tronic automatic gearbox, for the very best sporting performance.

Meet the first Alfa Romeo Brera "Italia Independent." Sergio Cravero, managing director of Alfa Romeo Automobiles delivered the car to Giovanni Acconciagioco founding partner of the brand that operates within several goods sector to package Italian style and innovation for global consumption. On November 5, the car will set out from Milan for an original tour to discover the "fashion roads" of Europe. A route that will include the cities where the local inhabitants express their personal and creative style most spontaneously on the street: Milan, Zurich, Paris, London, Brussels, Berlin and Stockholm. Alfa Romeo Brera "Italia Independent" will be driven by Fosco Giulianelli, creator of the "The Fashionist" (www.thefashionist.se) a style & street guru who captures the coolest people in an absolutely natural way. The most interesting shots and videos will feature on the official websites of Alfa Romeo, Italia Independent and The Fashionist. A journey as truly unique as the international debut of the car, which took place in July this year against the magical backdrop of Porto Cervo.

But the new Alfa Romeo Limited Edition car does not only brings its unmistakable style to real roads. Since October 22, it has also featured on the virtual tracks of "Forza Motorsport 3," the most important racing videogame for Windows compatible consoles such as the Xbox. The game allows you to choose between 100 of the most exclusive road tracks in the world, from race circuits to the winding cliff roads of Amalfi. This means that the more than 4 million fans who buy "Forza Motorsport 3" every year will have a chance to try out a virtual Alfa Romeo Brera "Italia Independent" on the roads of Europe, America and Asia.