The most exciting new sportscar of 2005 has arrived in Japan this week, the stunning Alfa Romeo Brera winning even more admirers in at the 39th Tokyo Motor Show. Handed its world preview at the Geneva Salon on 1st March 2005, the amazing Giorgetto Giugiaro-styled sportscar has gathered many legions of fans over the last eight months, won over by its beauty, as it has made several major appearances right across the globe. It was driven for the first time in anger at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (when the then Alfa CEO Karl Heinz Kalbfell powered it up the famous hill), while a second high profile outing saw it part of the Milanese marque's collection at the prestigious Frankfurt IAA last month. The Brera has made its Asia-Pacific regional debut this month at the Sydney Motor Show, while now it has come to Tokyo, Asia's biggest and brightest automotive fest.

Giorgetto Giugiaro, the man named as the "Car Designer of Century", said of his newest creation - back in 2002 when the Brera was unveiled in concept form - that it was "not a repetition, but a bud that will flower".
 

The original show car had much praise heaped on it, including: the 'Best of Show', awarded by the magazine Autoweek at the Geneva Motor Show; 'Best of Show' in the Prototype category at the Europe's leading classic and performance car event, the Villa d'Este Concours d'Elégance; two prizes for its category at the Bibendum Challenge 2002, including one as 'one of the most car elegant in the world'; and the title of 'the most fascinating car' at the Super Car Rally 2002. At the Frankfurt IAA last month the Brera's array of important trophies were displayed in a cabinet behind it.

The giant Japanese carmakers - Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi and Honda - have thrown all their best efforts at stealing the headlines of their domestic motor show this year with a glittering array of new road cars and concepts, as well as many plainly weird and wonderful showcars, as well as a glimpse of the future with a swage of full-working "alternative fuel" prototypes. However, despite their best efforts, the natural Italian beauty wins the contests of winning hearts hands down. The Brera is - for the next fortnight in Tokyo - showing itself off to a market that is expected to be an important sales region for the Alfa 'sporting' flagship.

The model being shown in Tokyo is the muscular, range topping 3.2-litre JTS V6 powered, four wheel drive Brera Q4 model, which is being presented alongside another new winner from Alfa Romeo: the Alfa 159 sedan.