Alfa Romeo Brera (2006–2011) Price Guide

The Brera is one of the most beautiful cars Alfa Romeo has ever produced. Giorgetto Giugiaro’s design won award after award. The problem was that the car underneath the stunning body was too heavy and too soft to match the promise of its appearance.

The Car

Launched in 2005 on a platform developed jointly with General Motors, the Brera coupe weighed over 1,500kg — far too much for its engines. The 2.2 JTS four-cylinder producing 185bhp felt underpowered. The 3.2 JTS V6 with 260bhp and Q4 all-wheel drive was better matched but thirsty. The 2.4 JTDm five-cylinder diesel was the pragmatist’s choice, combining 210bhp and strong torque with reasonable economy. A 1750 TBi turbo petrol replaced the 2.2 JTS late in production. Prodrive, the British motorsport engineering firm, was contracted to develop the suspension, but even their expertise could not fully overcome the fundamental weight problem.

What Goes Wrong

The JTS petrol engines suffer from premature timing chain wear — a serious and expensive failure. The M32 six-speed manual gearbox on 2.2 JTS cars develops sixth-gear bearing whine. The Q-Tronic automatic on the V6 is smoother but less engaging. Selespeed automated manuals are best avoided entirely. The 2.4 diesel’s swirl flaps can fail and be ingested into the engine. Body electronics develop faults with age. The Brera shares everything mechanical with the open-top Spider 939, so parts interchange freely.