Car Trends Magazine

These uncovered photographs of the Alfa Romeo Brera Spider which is going to be officially presented in the Geneva Motor Show in March leaked today to the internet.

Like most of the competition, the new Spider follows the tradition and is equipped with a soft top. Two seats are provided, which allow for a respectable luggage volume of approximately 250 litres.

Two petrol engines will be offered on the new Alfa Romeo Spider; a 2.2 litre JTS direct injection four-cylinder and a 3.2 litre V6, with the units offering 185 hp and 260 hp respectively. In 2007, a GTA model is expected, which will feature a twin-turbo V6 engine with 408 hp and 680 Nm of torque

Six speed manual gearboxes are fitted as standard, whilst an automatic six speed transmission will become available for the V6 version in 2007. As with the 159 and Brera models, power from the V6 engine will be delivered through an all-wheel-drive traction system, with rear bias for sporty handling., coupled to a 6-speed gearbox completes the driveline while an automatic will be offered at a later date.

In terms of vehicle size, the Spider is 20 mm shorter than the Brera Coupé due to a shorter rear overhang, while the wheelbase remains at 2,528 mm. To fully exploit the four-wheel-drive abilities, the Spider makes use of front quadrilateral suspension at the front, with tri-link at the rear. ASR (Anti Slip Regulation) and VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) with sporty, non-intrusive calibration, is also fitted to control the Spider's dynamic behaviour. An electronic system called MSR is also fitted, which adjusts braking torque during down-changing

The Brera Spider will hit the market in Europe in July, while rumours have it that it will come to the US along with its coupe sibling during 2007. If that happens, it will be sold throughout Ferrari / Maserati dealerships.

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