We've bought Clarkson's favourite hatchback for just £1700 – How bad can it be?

Summary

The narrator buys a used 2007 Alfa Romeo Brera hatchback for £1,700, choosing the less common 5-cylinder diesel engine over the V6. He takes it to a specialist who confirms it was overpriced but not terrible. It fails its MOT on several minor issues like parking brake, wipers, and exhaust. They make a plan to modify the Brera with coilovers, new wheels, and a tune to turn it into the driver's car it should be, dubbing the project 'Project Bleep' after Jeremy Clarkson's colorful quote about the car.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video is about modifying an Alpha Romeo Brera to make it a proper driver's car
• 🚗 The host bought a 2007 Alpha Romeo Brera diesel hatchback for £1700
• ⛽️ The Brera has a 5 cylinder turbo diesel engine which is better than the V6 gasoline engine
• 🚦 The Brera failed its MOT test on several issues like brakes, suspension, exhaust
• 🛠️ The plan is to fix the issues and modify the Brera - coilovers, tune, interior, wheels etc
• 👨‍🔧 The workshop owner thinks the host overpaid for the Brera even after seeing the issues
• 🔧 The issues found during MOT test don't seem too bad and are fixable
• ⬆️ With fixes and modifications, the Brera can be turned into an amazing hot hatch
• 🏁 The goal is to make the Alpha Romeo Brera the best one in the country
• 🎥 The workshop owner has an Italian car modification YouTube channel called Auto Sportivo

Q & A

What car does the narrator buy?

The narrator buys a 2007 Alpha Romeo Brera.

How much does the narrator pay for the Brera?

The narrator pays £1,700 for the Brera.

What color is the Brera that the narrator buys?

The Brera is misano blue color.

What engine does the narrator's Brera have?

The Brera has a 5-cylinder turbo diesel engine.

Why does the narrator choose the diesel engine over the V6?

The narrator chooses the diesel because it can be tuned to have more power and torque than the V6, while also being lighter.

What modifications does the narrator want to make?

The narrator wants to install coilovers, get a tune-up, replace the interior, get new wheels and tires, and a custom exhaust system.

How many MOT failures does the Brera have initially?

The Brera fails its MOT on 6 counts initially.

What are some of the MOT failures?

MOT failures include: faulty parking brake, worn windscreen wipers, loose track rod end, exhaust leaks, a broken coil spring.

Does the mechanic think the narrator overpaid for the Brera?

Yes, the mechanic thinks the narrator slightly overpaid. He would've offered £1,300 for it.

What is the goal for the Brera project?

The goal is to modify the Brera to turn it into the driver's car it should have been originally.

Outlines

00:00

😄 Introducing the new Alpha Romeo Brera project car

The first paragraph introduces the new Alpha Romeo Brera project car that was just purchased. It describes the car's misano blue color and mentions that Jeremy Clarkson referred to it as an 'automotive icon'. The goal is to modify the Brera into the driver's car it should have been.

05:03

🤔 Assessing the Brera's engine and condition

The second paragraph discusses the Brera's diesel 5 cylinder turbo engine, which is better than the V6 engine option. The owner and mechanic acknowledge the car needs some work but don't think it's in terrible shape. They agree upgrades like a tune, coilovers and new wheels will improve it.

10:04

👨‍🔧 Reviewing the results of the MOT inspection

The third paragraph goes through the results of the MOT inspection, which highlighted issues like brake, suspension, exhaust and drivetrain problems. However, the owner notes these defects can be addressed with planned upgrades like new coilovers and exhaust.

15:04

🚦 Planning next steps for the project Brera

The fourth paragraph concludes by recapping plans to modify the Brera into a great hot hatch, including creating a parts list. The owner and mechanic agree on moving forward to make this the best Brera in the country.

Keywords

💡Alpha Romeo Brera

The Alpha Romeo Brera is the specific model of car that the narrator buys and plans to modify in the video. It is described as one of the "prettiest cars of all time" with a beautiful design. The narrator chooses this car because of its iconic styling and potential to be tuned into a true driver's car.

💡modification

Modification refers to the upgrades and changes the narrator plans to make to the Brera to improve its driving dynamics and performance. This includes adding coilovers, tuning the engine, upgrading the exhaust, changing the interior, and installing new wheels and tires. The goal is to transform the Brera into the driver's car it should have been originally.

💡diesel engine

Contrary to expectations, the narrator chooses a Brera with a 5-cylinder diesel engine rather than the V6 petrol engine. He believes the diesel will be better for tuning and can be modified to sound like an Audi Quattro. The diesel is also lighter than the V6.

💡MOT

MOT stands for Ministry of Transport test and is an annual test required in the UK to certify roadworthiness of vehicles over 3 years old. The narrator takes the Brera for its MOT before modifying it, and it fails on several counts like the parking brake, windscreen wipers, and exhaust issues.

💡Jeremy Clarkson

Jeremy Clarkson is a former presenter on the BBC car show Top Gear, known for his controversial opinions. He had reviewed the Alpha Romeo Brera in the past and described it as "automotive art" despite critiquing its driving dynamics. The narrator references Clarkson's opinions on the Brera.

💡project car

The Brera represents a project car that the narrator will buy, modify, and document the process of transforming. Project cars are common in car culture - purchasing an older, imperfect car and improving it through upgrades and restoration.

💡hot hatch

Hot hatches are high performance versions of standard hatchback cars. Though the Brera is often considered a coupe, the narrator believes its design represents the perfect hot hatch due to its styling and potential for power upgrades. Making it drive like a hot hatch is one of his goals.

💡Top Gear

Top Gear is one of the most popular automotive TV shows known for reviewing and pushing cars to their limits. As a petrolhead show, the Alpha Romeo Brera being featured on Top Gear adds to its pedigree and iconic status among enthusiasts like the narrator.

💡Italian passion

The Brera is an Italian car from noted designer Giorgetto Giugiaro. The narrator admires the passion and flair exhibited in its flowing, emotional design that looks hand sculpted. This embodied the passion often associated with Italian sports cars.

💡driving dynamics

The driving dynamics of a car refer to how it performs and handles while driving. Critics panned the Brera for having poor driving dynamics that didn't live up to its looks. A major goal of the narrator is to modify the Brera to have sharp, responsive driving dynamics on par with its visual appeal.

Highlights

We bought a 2007 Alpha Romeo Brera for £1,700, hoping to turn it into the driver's car it should have been

The Brera features a beautiful, sloping hood and rear design with quad exhaust pipes

Most go for the V6 engine but we chose the more tunable 5-cylinder turbo diesel instead

The expert says we slightly overpaid at £1,700 but it's not a bad example overall

Common issues on Breras are corroded subframes and problematic V6 engines

Planned modifications include coilovers, a tune, and nicer wheels and tires for better handling

The MOT failed on 6 counts but most issues are easily fixable things like wipers and exhaust

Despite high hopes the expert still thinks we overpaid but will help make it the best Brera possible

The lovely color and design means this Brera could be an internet icon after we fix it up

Named this build Project Bleep due to the 5 cylinder turbo diesel engine

Recommends checking out the Auto Sportivo YouTube channel for more Italian car content

Let Project Bleep commence to turn this into the ultimate driver's hatchback

The Brera is an iconic Top Gear car but the diesel engine choice is a bold move

Jeremy Clarkson said only mustache-twirling villains drive gorgeous coupes with diesel engines

What do you think of Project Bleep? Let us know in the comments!

Transcripts

it is bitterly cold but it doesn't

matter because today is new car day it's

just over there and it's the prettiest

car we've ever had on the driet trick

Channel

Welcome to our 2007 Alpha Romeo Barrera

Jeremy Clarkson referred to one of these

as

automotive and I've bought this one in

misano blue for

£1,700 it may be one of the prettiest

cars of all time it is definitely the

prettiest hatchback of all time I know

it was featured in twodo Coupes but I

see it as a hatchback when you give a

designer like jarro a coup to build he's

going to go mental with the design that

beautiful sloping Bonnet up into the

roof line and then my favorite bit of

the entire design the rear I've never

known a hatchback to curl right down

like this and it's so squat at the back

it's a beautiful line with quad pipes as

well it's a lovely car but there's a

difference with this one this may be not

what you

expect

everyone makes the mistake of going for

the V6 because they see 3.2 and they

think it's the legendary buso engine

it's got a 3.2 L buso

engine but it's not it's some crappy GM

thing that probably ended up in a Vox

all what you want to go for is the 5

cylinder turbo now I know what you're

thinking I didn't know that alfha Mayo

brera came with a 5-cylinder turbo

engine but this one does

there is one catch it is a diesel It's

the JT dm20 valve but diesel means it's

more tunable and if you ref this thing

and put the right exhaust on it it can

sound like an Audi

Quattro first modification this random

rag Jeremy did say that if you get the

diesel engine in a car that looks like

this you're the kind of person that

thinks the monaa should have a mustache

to be honest I don't think the monaa is

that great don't think she's that pretty

she looks a bit grumpy more like Mona

loser am I

right so why have we bought a Bara well

sadly the journalist back in the day

panned this car saying it was super

disappointing to drive compared to how

it looked but I want to change that I

want to modify the Alpha Romeo brera so

it turns into the driver's car it should

always have been turning Jeremy's

favorite hatchback hot today's goal is

to get this thing to an expert give it

the once over and try and get it through

anot how bad can a 1700 alpha male

be we obviously couldn't drive our new

Alpha yet due to the lack of MOT so

shout out to our man Lewis at Bigfoot

Transportation who got it down to us go

check him out on Instagram we are sure

our brera is the prettiest car he's ever

transported you guys probably recognize

an here but he owns this place autop

sportivo Bedford and you've got a

YouTube channel yes so you mocking about

with Italian cars is out there on the

internet yeah it's painful and your your

place here weirdly is becoming a bit of

a hub for internet breas because Taylor

heatherington from the a Alex Channel

had his red one down yeah how bad was

his compared to ours um it was bad

really is this a

I I wouldn't say Mina but it's a hell of

a lot better give that b give

better somebody gone over that with a

scour pad so I bought it from a guy who

was going it was going to be a project

for him and he was going to respray it

but he just I think he got a bit too old

and just didn't have the time so we've

taken over this project BR and then you

thought do you know what let's just send

it here I know a guy and punish me with

it you're that guy yeah so tell me alfha

Pras yeah awful good uh I don't want to

be cruel okay but be cruel come on I

think you you pay too much for it really

yeah how much do you think I should pay

for this I would have given

£1,300 okay slightly over the odds but

Alphas they come very good or very bad

and this is probably sitting borderline

I think just on the middle okay where'

you stand on breras as a car just like

in decent condition are they any good I

like them The Styling especially the um

the pro drive one I think this come on

stylish um and you have done something

good and I you've gone for the better

engine well you tell me so I've gone for

the five I like Cy engin I saw 5

cylinder diesel I was like that's really

cool but they do sound nice when you get

it up the Rev band they sound good um

I've had this engine in my 159 TI and I

did a stage one map on it really T I do

love the engine the only issue you'll

get really EGR valve could you know mess

up that'll throw up an engine light okay

but I had mine for years and it never

gave me any issues and it was a good

engine the engine I don't like in this

car is what Taylor and Alex got the V6

yeah so I've already explained the

differences but um that stage one shun

can take this engine past the V6 I think

both in power and has more torque yeah

so both stats it's going to be further

up plus a bit lighter as well than the

V6 which means it probably be better to

drive yeah okay so my aim with this is

to make it a proper driver's car because

lots of people say it does not live up

to the looks so I'd like to get your

thoughts on yeah coilovers y a tuneup

yep it's not really performance but I'd

like to get a tan interior although I I

would love to get some like Delta

integral Style leather or Alcantara

buckets in there so lose some weight um

I would like to get better Wheels

there's like the alpha wheel I think

they're on the pro drive cars and I'd

like to get them cuz I'm not too sure on

those and guess some proper tires yeah

is there anything else we should be

contemplating or is there not really too

much we can do to this

package stage one for performance I

think that's plenty enough if you sort

the handling out if you get them BC call

overs and those nicer Alloys it'll give

you know it will give it such a nice

stance as well cuz I think it is a sexy

shape I don't think it needs to go much

lower like if it it's sitting quite nice

yeah but I reckon just like an inch or

so less and it'll really hunker down

with those Wheels it'll look beautiful

and then stage one and I think that'll

be enough and then this look this color

misano blue obviously it's looking

pretty hellish now and there's clearly

rattle can spray all over it where

someone started but you know we've got a

body shop that can sort this out and I

reckon this will be a very nice car by

the time we're done yeah we're missing

up bit trim at the front here aren't we

there should be something here and here

oh yeah you got like these slats here

you've got them here but I did see one

in the car but then um right okay the

other one must be in there if it's not

we'll just order one off eBay or

something and wack it on there well I

know you're gagging to get this up on

the ramp to see just how bad it is but I

want to go in completely cold I want to

see if if this 1,700 Quick Car can get

through an mot what's your

bet knowing nothing about the underneath

yeah what do you think um am I right

seeing sub frames yeah they they suffer

why is

that that's just the way they built them

I guess honest this one

the9 and the spider version they got the

same subframes and they just corrode

over time it does smell a bit I know

diesel smell but like this one is

pungent could that be your blockage

somewhere yeah don't worry about it I'll

have a look at it it's in the right

place anyway but we'll check it out and

um we'll just go from there we'll make

we'll make a long list like this cuz I

doubt there going to be

short I know just get it in and have a

look and see what we're dealing with

okay well to create that list first

things first

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Mot

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and The Good the Bad and the Ugly I know

the car has failed on six counts I don't

know whether I'm happy or sad about that

but let's go through them some of them

aren't too bad yeah do not drive until

repaired dangerous defect is parking

brake efficiency parking brake so is

that just a cable that LE Titans hand

breake it could be how long has this

been um stood I reckon judging the mot

history and stuff a bit over a year

maybe 13 14 months he could have parked

it up with the hand breake up so it's

just the calipers at the back could have

seized so we that's an easy repair take

them off strip them clean them up don't

worry about that toss as side yeah

repair immediately major defect wind

screen wiper does not clear the wind

screen effectively all right okay oh yes

I think I found yes yeah there you go

there's our that's a lovely easy fix and

I've got them on the Shelf so not a

problem yeah that's 2 minutes and a half

for that's done okay uh the other stuff

all looks like it's underneath so should

we get the car in the air and take a

look at these okay starting from this

end I've got track rod end ball joint

has excessive play offside

front biger

okay is that really enough to fill an

mot I guess so yeah yeah there's quite a

bit in there it's still not as bad as

Taylor's car hell no oh my is it got

four-wheel steering as well um okay and

then moving back just visually I'm

surprised it's not on here the subframe

this we talked about this earlier it's a

common Brea corrosion Place yeah it's

it's got loads of surface but I guess no

holes there isn't we have had a poke and

it is you know still

yeah inside I feel like I want to sort

that anyway if you want to change it

then we'll get one in and we'll change

it can you get like refer

bre uh you could get cuz it's such a

common it's not hard to get hold of so I

a sour one it's not an issue I love that

this bit is it's been nicely undercoated

here by oil so that bit's fine yeah that

bit is okay moving back uh the next one

is exhaust system major leak where the

calls there we go oh oh

wow U yes I mean again I don't want to

get some sort of infection but yeah

should given some gloves I'm fingering

my exhaust right now and I'm back out

so's one that is it both sides that's

looking pretty Hy there in there yeah

okay oh well that at least another one

exhaust system insecure that really fell

on your

head oh

my oh yeah that's coming off that's

coming I think I would call that

insecure actually I'll give him that

yeah um okay that's quite major coil

spring fractured or broken near side

right yeah I see it yeah it's collapsed

there okay is that common on these or is

that just British roads annihilating an

old car if it's been sat and then it's

gone off you you know that's going to

happen well just looking at this list

though coil spring we're going to Bo

coilovers on it from DC so sorted um I

see one of the monitors is tires we're

probably going to get new bridge stones

on these so that's fine wipers fine

exhaust we're going to get a custom job

on this so we get that 5 cylinder nice

roll juice SC so I mean it's not too bad

is it I'll be honest I don't think

that's bad I thought thought it was

going to come back with a hell of a lot

of advisories as well that's that's

nothing that's that's cool I'm happy

with that okay so next thing we'll come

up with a parts list yeah and suddenly

would you say my 1700 quiz looking a bit

better or still too much be honest if I

was to go and view this car I wouldn't

have given them what you paid for it I

would have gone in I would have lowed

him and gone for £1,000 and then he

would have probably come back at me and

said oh5 then I would have found

something else while picking at it and

then I would have gone in at 13 what if

I was to tell you he was a lovely old

man was he yeah oh I still think you

pick he was he was such a lovely old man

he really struggled to do a electronic

bank transfer SW up his bang see you

would have given them the money all day

wouldn't you yes cuz I'm such a nice

person I would have felt sorry but they

just take my money the best 170000 quid

I've ever spent okay right parts list on

and then turn this brera into the best

one in the country and a genuine hot

hatch deal yeah deal de

yes with that another car joins the driv

tribe garage what do you make of it tell

me in the comments below the brera is a

top gear icon I will admit I've gone

slightly Rogue with the engine choice

but I reckon with our whole aim to this

project that engine is going to come

good we've decided to Crown this project

project you're going to need to bleep

that out editor cuz of the key words on

YouTube but I think it's fitting for a

car that looks this amazing and of

course Jeremy's quote if you're into

Niche Italian sports cars definitely

head over and subscribe to the autop

sport Bedford YouTube channel I love the

content on there and the kit that's in

this Workshop is topnotch so head on

over there we'll put the link in the

description and maybe also in the top

comment if you like this video give it a

thumbs up I've been m and don't forget

to subscribe to driv tribe let project

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