Alfa Romeo

Control

The new Alfa Brera is self-avowedly an Alfa Romeo in its uncompromising sense of control and driving satisfaction. Driving comfort and dynamic behaviour have always been specific features of Alfa Romeo cars. The Alfa Brera is fitted with suspension systems that are exceptional and which produce a greater capacity to absorb road roughness, maximum linearity and precision in the steering response, great roadholding, maximum stability in high-speed manoeuvres and the agility of a true Alfa Romeo over tight mixed routes.

The new high wishbone layout adopted on the front suspension is the ideal solution to guarantee precise control of wheel movement, with a clearly defined steering axis. The architecture was borrowed from motorsport and endows the car with outstanding dynamic performance, and extremely sensitive, pinpoint steering.

With an excellent ratio (12.7° steer for every degree of wheel steer) and an overall rotation of two and a quarter turns of the steering wheel, the Alfa Brera steering system translates into a more direct response for the driver and better stability control.

The new Multilink rear suspension allows wheel movement to be controlled in a sophisticated manner, achieving the best possible balance in terms of performance. The system has three levers and a transverse link which, acting together, provide faster responses, enhanced stability and extreme grip.

The Alfa Brera with the powerful 3.2 JTS V6 engine also comes as standard with the same 4x4 system with three differentials already adopted on the Alfa 159 Q4.

The critical central differential is a Torsen-C unit that also incorporates the front diff, a solution that ensures considerable benefits in terms of dimensions, weights and also performance giving improved traction and cornering stability.

The basic torque distribution of the Q4 system is mainly to the rear (57%) for a sporty drive. Due to its locking effect, the central differential is able to send drive torque to the axle with the best grip on the ground moment by moment, allowing a distribution focused on the front (72/28) or the rear (22/78) in fast, automatic and continuous manner.

Braking is an equally critical part of the control of a car, and the system fitted to the Alfa Brera upholds the Alfa Romeo tradition in this field. The power-assisted, hydraulic system comprises two independent cross-over circuits, guaranteeing prompt, smooth braking combined with minimal stopping distances. Given its exceptional performance, the powerful Alfa Brera 3.2 JTS V6 Q4 is fitted with 330mm ventilated discs with a four piston monobloc aluminium callipers on the front wheels and 292mm ventilated discs, with floating callipers, on the rear wheels.

To complement the high-performance brake system, the Alfa Brera also comes with one of the most advanced ABS systems on the market today. It features four active sensors and a hydraulic control unit with 12 solenoids. The ABS also contains electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) which apportions braking action over all four wheels to prevent locking and ensures control of the car under all conditions.

Standard on all cars, the Vehicle Dynamic Conrol (VDC) system cuts in under extreme conditions when car stability is at risk and helps the driver to maintain control of the car. As befits a true Alfa Romeo, the VDC is a sporting device that provides outstanding roadholding. It allows the driver the full satisfaction of controlling the car as long as conditions are normal but cuts in just before a situation becomes critical.

To achieve this result, the VDC continually monitors tyre grip in both longitudinal and lateral directions using sensors to detect the rotation of the car body about its vertical axis (yaw speed), lateral acceleration and the steering wheel angle set by the driver (which indicates the chosen direction). It then goes on to compare this data with parameters generated by a computer and establishes – via a complex mathematical model – whether the car is cornering within its grip limits or if the front or rear is about to skid (understeer or oversteer).

To restore the correct trajectory, it then generates a yawing movement in the opposite direction to the movement that gave rise to the instability by braking the appropriate wheel (interior or exterior) individually and reducing engine power (via the throttle). This is the key attribute of the device designed by Alfa Romeo engineers. It acts in a modulated fashion on the brakes to ensure the action is as smooth as possible (and the drive is not therefore disturbed). The engine power reduction is contained to ensure outstanding performance and great driving satisfaction.

The ASR system, an integral part of the VDC, optimises traction at any speed with the aid of the brakes and engine control. Computing the degree of spin on the basis of wheel rpm calculated by the ABS sensors, it activates two different control systems to restore grip: either reducing engine torque by reducing the throttle or, if only one wheel slips, automatically braking it without the driver touching the brake pedal.

The equipment array on the Alfa Brera is completed by the HBA system, the hydraulic electronic braking assistant which automatically increases the pressure in the braking circuit during emergency braking, and by the hill-holder system, which maintains braking pressure for a few moments after the driver removes his foot from the pedal, to simplify hill starts and prevent the car from slipping backwards.