Fashion shoot - Audi TT vs Alfa Brera S

Why the comparison?

Coupes are hot at the moment and there are few hotter than the Audi TT and Alfa Brera. The Audi was instrumental in the revival of the small coupe market, this second-generation car still selling in phenomenal numbers. Alfa has a long history of coupes, and the Brera follows the Italian firm's usual tradition of style; it really is a beautiful car. Are those Italian curves more appealing than the TT's German lines though? That's an entirely personal opinion. Where we can separate the two is on how they drive, the recently introduced Brera S aiming to appeal to British drivers with its Prodrive chassis enhancements. The TT is perhaps the closest rival to the Brera S on style, space and pricing; let's see how they get on against each other.

How are they similar?

As coupes both come with only two doors, though around the back they're both hatchbacks. Style is key to the appeal for each, the Brera S a squat, purposeful looking design, one that could only be an Alfa with its bold grille and flair, while the TT is a more Teutonic shape that's more architectural in its style than the Alfa. There's no denying that either looks good, the Alfa perhaps turning a few more heads as a result of not being so familiar due to smaller numbers sold. Each drives their front wheels (though both models have four-wheel drive options in their line-ups) and each comes with a six-speed manual transmission.

Both are said to be able to seat four, but you'd be hard pushed to use the rear seats in either for all but the shortest of journeys and even then your passengers would have to be pretty flexible and not too large either. Boot space in both is surprisingly good, the Audi's perhaps more accessible due to a lower loading lip, but the Alfa's is still usefully sized. Each has an interior that's very driver focussed, deep recessed dials and body-hugging seats adding to the sporting appeal. Priced within a few hundred pounds of each other it's not the money that'll be the deciding factor in this contest.

How do they differ?

Specification is largely the same but there are a few key differences to the two cars here. The Alfa's 2.2-litre engine is naturally aspirated while the Audi's 2.0-litre engine comes with a turbocharger. That allows the Audi to trounce the Alfa on the 0-62mph dash with its time of 6.6 seconds - some two seconds faster than the Italian. Even with that performance advantage the Audi returns better economy, combined consumption for the four-ringed car 36.7mpg compared to just 30.7mpg with the Alfa. The Audi also demolishes the Brera on CO₂ emissions, with 183g/km a significant improvement over the Alfa's 218g/km.

The Brera S has been specifically tuned to appeal to British drivers' tastes and the unique challenges our poorly surfaced roads deliver. As a result the steering is sharp and the ride firm, but not harsh. The TT rides as well, but could do with some of the Brera S's feel at the steering wheel rim. The Audi's brakes feel more up to the task required of them than the Alfa's and the driving position in the Audi is much lower, adding to its sporting feel. Overall the Audi feels like the better built, more polished product. But while the Audi is a familiar sight, the Brera S is far rarer and arguably a more interesting purchase than the rather default choice Audi.

So which one would we have?

Alfa has improved the ride and handling of its Brera with the introduction of the S model, but it's still not the complete package compared to the Audi TT. The Audi is faster, feels better built and is far more economical than the Italian car. The TT might be a little bit familiar, but there's a reason why people keep buying them: it's a great car. The Brera S is improved, but it's simply not able to compete head on with the Audi. As a result the Brera S will remain a choice for those sold on its looks over everything else. The Audi is the clear winner here.

Kyle Fortune