Wheel-s-pun

Alfa Romeo is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1910. Alfa Romeo has been a part of the Fiat Group since 1986. The company was originally known as A.L.F.A., which is an acronym for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili (translated: Lombard Automobile Factory, Public Company).

It might make you proud to be British to hear that Alfa Romeo has sought to redress the general dynamic shoddiness of the Brera for the UK market.

Meaning, we'd like to think, that we're such a discerning and focused bunch of car buyers.

Hmm... The fact that it's still not all that great might also imply that we're a bunch of mugs.

After all, a car as heavy and ponderous as this was never going to be all that 'sporty'. Far better, you could argue, to let it be a soft, comfy, pretty GT.

The Brera S does feel sharper and roll around less, but my suspicion is that the reduction in day-to-day comfort is significant enough to put people off buying a car that is, when all's said and done, always going to be more about show than go.

The Brera S was a year in development at Prodrive. It has bespoke springs and new dampers. Its spring rate is up 50 percent and the 3.2 V6 JTS is dramatically lighter because Prodrive dispensed with the leaden four-wheel drive.

It's got lighter (and very pretty) alloy wheels to reduce the unsprung weight, the steering is better and the exhaust note improved.

And it only costs £1,500 more than the standard car. But for all that effort, is it really a superior car? Was it really worth the effort and expense for Alfa?

Especially when only 500 of us will get to find out.