Alfa Romeo Brera “Italia Independent”

Porto Cervo (Olbia) provided a stunning backdrop for the unveiling of the Alfa Romeo Brera “Italia Independent”, a new Limited Edition version of 900 that is due to go on sale first in Europe and then in Japan and Australia. It will be available to order from September in Italy, with a list price starting at € 32,200 euro (on-the-road price) for the 2.2 JTS Selespeed version.

The world can catch a first glimpse of the Alfa Romeo Brera “Italia Independent” throughout the summer at “YOU”, a new sushi restaurant and lounge bar overlooking the square in Porto Cervo and the lovely old harbour.

This original Limited Edition of the Brera came about as a joint venture between Alfa Romeo and Italia Independent, a brand that operates within several goods sectors to package Italian style and innovation for a global vision. For Italia Independent, “innovation” also means the use of new materials, such as Kevlar, DuPont’s Cordura, Gore-Tex or carbon, teamed with fine fabrics and materials such as linen, Loro Piana cashmere or cellulose acetate to obtain new slants on classic products.

In the same way, Alfa Rome designs and builds cars with state-of-the-art mechanics and engineering, featuring contemporary lines and shapes, that embody the concept of design in motion and emphasise the qualities of comfort, sportiness, elegance and power intrinsic to the Brand. This industrial philosophy is underpinned by Alfa Romeo's extraordinary legacy of cars, designers, races, engines, style and innovation; a constant presence throughout the technological progress and sporting events of the twentieth century.

It must be emphasised that the Alfa Romeo Brera “Italia Independent” is the first standard-production car to offer opaque paintwork (Titanium) over its entire body. This exterior feature is further enhanced by new 18" alloy wheels with an opaque black turbine pattern and some aluminium features, including the fuel cap, red-painted brake calipers and new "Italia Independent" logo on the car's rear.

The same attention to detail is evident inside, as is borne out by carbon fibre inserts (on both the dashboard and sporty steering wheel in black leather with red top-stitching) and brushed aluminium plates, personalised with an “Italia Independent” logo on the front seat head restraints. Still in a quest for maximum sportiness, the instrument panel of this original car features round red frames plus an aluminium pedal unit and foot-rest. In the same way, the seat trim and door panels are in the deepest black. Poltrona Frau black leather upholstery with red top-stitching is available as an option.

The Alfa Romeo Brera “Italia Independent” can be selected with 185 HP 2.2 JTS or 260 HP 3.2 V6 engines, both combined with 6-speed gearboxes (according to the engine, these may be manual, Selespeed or automatic Q-Tronic). The new version can also come with sophisticated Q4 four-wheel drive, which is exclusive to the 3.2 V6 version.

The Alfa Romeo Brera “Italia Independent” also offers a wealth of standard equipment: VDC with 7 airbags, automatic dual zone climate control system, CD/MP3, cruise control and fog lights. Customers can naturally personalise their car from the numerous options available, including xenon headlights, parking sensors, Bose Hi-Fi system, Blue&Me, Blue&Me Nav and the new Instant Nav navigation system with a map of Europe on a SD card and compatibility with Blue&Me.

Alfa Romeo a protagonist on three continents

Image by AFP/Getty Images via Daylife

Alfa Romeo has always supported its customers with special offers and initiatives not only in the name of sport, style and performance, but to improve safety and accident prevention, too. Only Alfa Romeo has succeeded so well in combining and rendering totally compatible these distinctive values under the one brand.

To satisfy a growing demand for its products, Alfa Romeo is now returning to Argentina. “Centro Milano”, the official importers, are about to import 160 cars from Italy. Seventy are Alfa Romeo MiTos, and the rest a mix of Alfa 147, Alfa 159, Alfa Brera and Alfa Spider models. A new official website has been inaugurated for the occasion, too (http://www.alfaromeo.com.ar/). The “sportiest compact ever” will soon be a protagonist on the other side of the world too! From July the 120 and 155 HP 1.4 Turbocharged versions of the Alfa Romeo MiTo will go on sale in Australia.

And now, from South America and Australia to Europe! On the 4^th June the first French “Italian Motor Village” will be inaugurated in Cannes. The Italian Motor Village project began 3 years ago with the opening in Turin of the Mirafiori Motor Village, Fiat Group’s first multipurpose centre anywhere in the world. Over the next few months the concept will be extended to Spain, Portugal, Germany and Italy. In the futuristic French village, the public will find a large area dedicated exclusively to the entire Alfa Romeo range.

Finally, the exclusive series events organised by Alfa Romeo for its fans are continuing. After the success of the first “Drive on Track” event in Varano de’ Melegari, the next event for Alfisti will take place on the 27^th June on the Pergusa circuit near Enna in Sicily, in the presence of the driver–instructors of the International Centre for Safe Driving. The Sicilian circuit is 4.950 kilometres long and winds through the spectacular scenery of the Lake Pergusa Nature Reserve. This excitement-packed event offers a wide range of activities and will provide a day of instruction in the pleasures of sport driving on board Alfa Romeo MiTo and Brera cars.

Alfa Romeo 159 1750

At the recent Geneva Motor Show, Alfa Romeo unveiled numerous major developments heralding the re-launch of the brand on the global stage. Protagonist of the event was the new Alfa Romeo 159 (saloon and Sportwagon versions). The new 159 is designed to express a sporting yet seductive personality and boasts road holding and performance that set new standards for this class of car. Two new engines in particular (a 200 HP, 1750 cc turbocharged petrol engine and a 170 HP 2.0 JTDM diesel) place the Alfa Romeo 159 firmly in market segment D, in the power range that accounts for over half of Alfa Romeo sales.

Under their fascinating and highly personal exterior, all Alfa Romeos offer a choice of superb engines, all packed with the latest technology and bursting with performance. Alfa Romeo engines are the perfect embodiment of the sporting soul that has always set the marque apart from the competition. The Alfa Romeo 159 is certainly no exception. Starting from April 2009, the new 159 will be available with a brand new engine: a 1750 cc turbocharged petrol engine that conforms to Euro 5 standards and develops 200 HP between 4,750 and 5,500 rpm with 320 Nm of torque at only 1,400 rpm.

The new 1750 cc turbo petrol engine (manufactured by FPT - Fiat Powertrain Technologies) comes combined with a six speed manual gearbox and boasts advanced ignition control solutions including direct fuel injection, two continuously variable valve timing units, a turbocharger and a revolutionary scavenging control system. The resulting performance is comparable to – or better than – that of many 3 litre engines while still delivering fuel consumption typical of a compact four cylinder unit.

The force behind the development of any Alfa Romeo engine is the company’s determination to use technology to enhance driving pleasure. This certainly applies to the development of the new, Euro 5, “1750 Turbo Benzina 200 CV” unit destined immediately for the Alfa Romeo 159 and later on for the Alfa Romeo Brera, Spider and 159 Sportwagon.

This engine takes the Alfa Romeo 159, with its refined Italian styling and typical sporting elegance to an impressive top speed of 235 kph and accelerates it from 0 to 100 kph in just 7.7 seconds. The 200 HP Alfa Romeo 159 1750 TBi is therefore a true representative of Alfa’s exclusive motoring lifestyle. Far from being a mere ‘means of transport’, the new 159 is a real driver’s car. It delivers genuine sports performance and muscular acceleration thanks to generous torque and smooth response even at low revs and the extended power band of a modern, advanced petrol engine that minimises the need for you to ‘work’ the gearbox. The engine sound too is inspiring without ever becoming tiresome.

Alfa Romeo Brera TI 1.75 Liter 200 HP Turbo Gasoline Engine (Euro 5)

Also appearing on the Swiss exhibition runway was an Alfa Brera offered in the TI version and fitted with the new 1.75 liter 200 HP Tbi engine (Euro 5) giving it a maximum speed of 235 km/h and 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in 7.7 seconds. Despite this exciting performance, consumption and emissions are low: respectively 8.1 liters/100 Km and 189 g/km of CO2 (in combined cycle).
In addition to its high-spec equipment – the Frau® leather covering, the dual-zone climate control, the electrically operated seats, Cruise Control, the 7 airbags, the VDC system (with Electronic Q2) and Hill Holder – this car can be identified from the TI logo on the front wings. TI for Turismo Internazionale, an abbreviation which Alfa Romeo assigns only to cars with the highest level of equipment specification and sophisticated technical features. These are cars developed from production versions but which, using experience gained on race tracks throughout the world, are customized with mechanical developments and style features, becoming “thoroughbreds” which can be driven on ordinary roads.
The Alfa Romeo engineers have tuned the suspension and geometry (-10 mm) to further enhance the already renowned handling characteristics and sportiness of the car; springs and shock absorbers now have a stiffer set-up, specially designed to ensure effective grip for the 19 inch tires, while the new alloy rims, inspired by the 8C Competizione, have a shape designed to achieve maximum weight reduction and cooling of the braking system. The latter features large brake discs and red Brembo one-piece aluminum front calipers with radial mounting. These high-quality technical features constitute the maximum expression of Alfa Romeo driving pleasure, with its time-honored qualities of agility, steering precision and safety under all conditions.
The interior of the TI combines the highest sporting spirit of Alfa Romeo with the class and elegance expected from an Italian product. The precision of the finishing and the quality of the materials were the guiding principles of the Alfa Romeo Style Center in designing the interior environment. The high-containment anatomical seats are covered in soft leather and finished with stitching and a metal badge with the TI logo. On request, the center console of the dashboard and the steering wheel insignia can be in carbon fiber. The steering wheel anatomical grip and gear change knob are finished in perforated leather. The interior environment can be rendered even more exclusive by choosing a leather dashboard, a refined hand-crafted option. For maximum driving satisfaction, the instruments also come with “sporty” graphics, with white lighting, while the pedals and foot rest are in aluminum with a special non-slip treatment.

World preview: 1.75 Liter 200 HP Turbo Gasoline Engine and 2.0 Liter 170 HP JTDM Engine

Beneath their attractive and characterful lines, all Alfa Romeo cars conceal a structured range of excellent, technically advanced engines which are unstinting in performance. They are the best confirmation of the "sporting heart" which has always distinguished the Alfa Romeo brand. And today it is the turn of two new products to bear witness to this motoring tradition renowned throughout the world:
the 1.75 200 HP Turbo Gasoline Engine (Euro 5). This engine reverts to the 1750 capacity used on earlier successful Alfa Romeo sedans. In fact, at the end of the 1960s, the 1.75 liter Sedan was launched, followed by the 1.75 liter GT Veloce, both fitted with a 1779 cc engine producing 118 HP (the output of this Alfa Romeo engine put it at the top of its category);
the 2.0 liter 170 HP JTDM Engine (Euro 5) Common Rail Multijet, the technology developed by the Fiat Group in collaboration with Bosch, which revolutionized the world of diesel engines at the end of the 1990s.
The new engines produced by FPT – Fiat Powertrain Technologies – and coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission, will be available from April on the Alfa Romeo Brera, Spider and 159 (sedan and Sportwagon) models.


Alfa Romeo 1.75 Liter Turbo Gasoline Engine

The new 1.75 Liter Turbo Gasoline engine brings together the most advanced technologies in the field of spark ignition engines, including direct gasoline injection, continuous variable valve timing, turbocharging and a revolutionary management system. The result is an engine with performance comparable to that of a 3.0 liter engine while consumption is maintained at moderate levels appropriate to a 1.75 liter engine.

“Scavenging” technology
The exceptional performance of the engine is the result of applying “Scavenging” technology, which maximizes torque at very low engine speeds, thereby providing incredible speed of engine response to driver demands.
“Scavenging” is achieved by instantaneously (moment by moment) monitoring and optimizing engine parameters such as fuel measurement, the position of the two phase variators, spark advance and injection timing; in practice, it is possible to define with extreme accuracy the angle and times of valve overlap in order to generate an airflow direct from the inlet manifold to the exhaust manifold and thereby activate the turbocharger very quickly. This allows optimum exploitation of the turbocharger compared with conventional turbocharged gasoline engines. The system is managed by a new engine management computer, containing ultra-modern software which manages all the parameters. The results obtained are astonishing: maximum torque at 1500 rpm is increased by 70% compared with a traditional turbocharged engine and the response times are more than halved, approaching those of a normally aspirated engine.

Direct injection
Direct injection reduces the temperature in the combustion chamber through the evaporation of gasoline which considerably lowers its propensity to detonation. This allows excellent performance to be achieved even in the presence of a relatively high compression ratio (9.5) and provides low consumption at “throttled” speeds.
Direct injection is essential to reduce emissions with an advanced double injection strategy. And with direct control of the fuel, during the scavenging process it is possible to prevent some of the gasoline ending up in the exhaust with harmful effects on catalytic converter operation. Finally, the second generation injection system has a new high-pressure pump (able to handle gasoline pressures of 150 bar) and new 7-hole injectors which guarantee perfect vaporization under all engine operating conditions.

Dual variable valve timing (VVT)
The two continuous phase variators on the inlet and exhaust camshafts optimize the phases at all speeds and engine loads, minimizing consumption and emissions. In addition, by coupling the two variators to the turbocharger, the “Scavenging” strategy is managed, by defining the correct overlap during the transitions. In response to a sudden torque request from the driver it is therefore possible to speed up engine response, even from very low rpm levels, as quickly as possible.

Turbo
The engine has a new generation turbocharger linked to an innovative exhaust manifold of the “Pulse Converter” type which optimizes exploitation of the exhaust pressure waves to increase torque at low engine speeds. Both the manifold and the turbine are made of microcast steel which allows them to withstand very high operating temperatures (up to a maximum of 1020°C), which is extremely important in reducing consumption during motorway driving at medium/high speeds.

Thermal fluid dynamics
The inlet ducts have been designed and optimized using single and three-dimensional computational technologies allowing the correct high level of turbulence to be achieved. This results in correct mixing of air and gasoline (in addition, combustion is speeded up and fully stabilized even at low engine speeds). The combustion chamber has been optimized for this turbocharged engine by using large “squish” areas and minimizing the surface to volume ratio with beneficial effects on combustion efficiency. Finally, the exhaust pipes have been designed to work in synchrony with the exhaust manifold and to maximize its “pulse converter” effect.

Friction
The whole engine been designed to reduce losses through friction. The pistons have elastic rings to limit tangential load and advanced materials have been used to reduce wear to a minimum. In addition, the cylinder head design incorporates roller rockers which reduce losses through sliding contact by 65% at 2000 rpm compared with those in the cylinder heads of Twin Spark engines.
Mechanical optimization, with a very long connecting rod coupled with a relatively short stroke, has minimized typical vibration in four-cylinder engines when operating at high engine speeds. This has given the option of not using balance shafts, further improving the fuel consumption of the engine.

Performance
The “Scavenging” strategy, combined with the new management system, has achieved new “benchmark” levels for engine performance. The specific torque (185 Nm/l) is very high and is among the highest for currently available engines. It can also be asserted that the maximum torque value (320 Nm) achieved at an engine speed of 1400 rpm represents a point of absolute excellence. This value guarantees excellent pick-up performance and allows driving without frequent use of the gear change by the driver. Finally, the high specific power of 115 HP/l is achieved at the relatively low engine speed of 4750 rpm, remaining constant up to 5500 rpm.

Emissions
As a result of the double injection and “high pressure start” the emissions value meets the Euro 5 limit with a relatively small catalytic converter, with positive effects on performance.


Alfa Romeo 2.0 Liter JTDM Engine, 170 HP and 360 Nm (Euro 5)

The 2.0 liter 170 HP JTDM engine (Euro 5) is a natural development of the 1.9 liter JTDM engine from the point of view of both performance (with an increase in torque and power) and emissions, satisfying the limits of the Euro 5 directive and achieving CO2 emission values (in the combined cycle) of a minimum of 136 g/km and a maximum of 142 g/km for the Alfa Romeo 159 (sedan).
The increase in cylinder capacity has been obtained by increasing the bore from 82 mm to 83 mm: this solution, together with a new variable geometry turbocharger, positions this engine at the top of the market. And with a reduction in fuel consumption: for example, the Alfa 159 Sedan in the combined cycle recorded 5.4 liters/100 km. In addition, the compression ratio is reduced from 17.5:1 to 16.5:1 (giving a consistent reduction in NOx) while, compared with the 1.9 liter JTDM engine, the new engine uses a “low voltage” glow plug which allows starting with minimum preheating times. Last but not least, compliance with Euro 5 emission limits is ensured by the use of a close-coupled diesel particulate filter (CCDPF) and an advanced exhaust recirculation system (EGR), in which all the sub-components are packed into one small component (the EGR module).
Finally, on the Alfa 159, a special equipment package is available (green tires, modified gear ratios, etc.) further reducing fuel consumption and emissions of CO2 without penalizing the driving pleasure and sportiness typical of the brand, in respect of both the 2.0 liter 170 HP JTDM engine and the 1.9 liter 120 HP JTDM engine. The values obtained (respectively 136 g/km and 138 g/km on the Alfa 159 sedan version) result in car tax benefits in the main European markets where taxation is based on CO2 emissions (for example France, Belgium, Holland and the UK).