How would you modify an Alfa Romeo Brera? If you're British racing and tuning firm Prodrive, you tune the sleek Italian coupe for the twisties - and it did just that with the new 2008 Alfa Romeo Brera S.
Prodrive fitted the Brera S with new Eibach coil springs, Bilstein dampers, a revised steering rack and anti-roll bars. The springs lower the car by 10 mm and are 50% stiffer than those on a stock Brera.
In order to keep the car light, Prodrive used hollow anti-roll bars and incorporated aluminum parts, like the lightweight 19" alloy wheels (patterned after those of the 8C Competezione). Its efforts are fruitful - the Brera S weighs in at 77 to 220 pounds less than the stock coupe.
Outside of a new exhaust system, Prodrive didn't touch the stock powertrain. The S is available with the 185-hp 2.2-liter I-4 or the 260-hp 3.2-liter V-6. Both produce respectable numbers, but we hoped Prodrive would have upped the ante under the hood.
Enticing as the Brera S sounds, it won't make its way stateside when Alfa Romeo revives its U.S. operations. We hear only 500 examples of the Brera S will be built - and only for the British market.