Special or limited editions are one of the oldest tricks in the industry's book when it comes to stimulating sales, and Alfa Romeo came up with some intriguing ideas over these models' short lifespan.
The Alfa Romeo Brera and Spider lived for a scant five years, mostly spent gathering dust on dealers' forecourts while people bought something else.
Special or limited editions are one of the oldest tricks in the industry's book when it comes to stimulating sales, and Alfa Romeo came up with some intriguing ideas over these models' short lifespan.
Here are some of the coolest Brera and Spider money could buy.
Brera S by Prodrive
The Brera S was an initiative of Alfa Romeo's UK branch, and it's perhaps the finest Brera ever, pairing the best of Italy with the best of Britain.
As I mentioned in the previous video, the Brera was more of a stylish cruiser than a thrill ride, so Alfa's marketing boss for the UK drafted the famed motorsport firm Prodrive to sharpen up the Brera's handling and steering feel.
Launched in 2008, the Brera S was equipped with bespoke Eibach coilovers, Bilstein dampers, and four gorgeous 19" alloy wheels replicating those from the 8C Competizione. According to period magazine reviews, the new setup positively transformed the car.
The Brera S was only available in the UK and could be had with the 2.2 liters JTS four-cylinder or the 3.2 V6 engines. The latter sent its 260 HP to the front wheels only, a rare configuration Alfa Romeo only offered between 2008 and 2009 and preferred because of its lower curb weight.
The Alfa Brera S also sounded different from the standard model thanks to a careful redesign of the rear silencers, whose chromed tips nicely mirrored the shape of the rear lights. Production was strictly limited to 500 examples, sold at a 1450 GBP premium over the standard Brera: a figure that, according to Alfa Romeo UK, merely recovered the operation's costs.
Brera Italia Independent
In July 2009, Alfa Romeo released a limited edition of the Brera and Spider in association with Italia Independent, the fashion and design company run by Lapo Elkann, one of Gianni Agnelli's grandsons.
The Brera Italia Independent was made immediately recognizable by the black 18" wheels and a matte-finish titanium grey paint that was, allegedly, offered for the first time on a production car. The interior sported carbon inserts on the steering wheel and dashboard, while the seats were trimmed in black Frau leather with contrasting red stitching.
Production was limited at 900 cars, available with either the 2.2 liters four-cylinder or the 3.2 V6 engine.
Spider Mille Miglia
Few races are more legendary than the Mille Miglia, the Italian road race between Brescia and Roma held between 1927 and 1957. Alfa Romeo won it eleven times, and these successes were instrumental in building the Marque's reputation.
In 2008, Alfa Romeo celebrated this heritage with an exclusive series of eleven Spiders, each dedicated to one of the Marque's triumphs in the Mille Miglia. All the cars were 3.2 V6s painted in Rosso 8C with a cloverleaf badge on the fenders, and the interior was finished in black leather with contrasting red stitching.
Brera and Spider "White Edition"
In December 2008, Alfa Romeo launched a limited "White Edition" model of the Brera and Spider exclusive to the Japanese market.
Details on these are hard to come by, but, as the name implied, both cars were finished in white, with red brake calipers. The Spider White Edition was a 2.2 JTS with Selespeed transmission, while the Brera White Edition was a 3.2 V6 equipped with the Q-Tronic automatic gearbox.