Hearts and minds were united at What Diesel Car? magazine when it voted the Alfa Brera its Best Sports/Coupe, in the publication’s annual Car of the Year Awards.

Short-listed against the BMW 335D and the Honda Civic Type S, the Alfa Brera 2.4 JTDM picked up valuable points in the looks department, with one judge declaring: “For visual impact, the Brera is the clear class-leader,” and another judge announcing: “Drive this and lose your heart. It’ll be the start of a nerve-tingling, smile-inducing, mind-warping love affair…”

Covering the 0 – 62mph dash in a handsome 8.1 seconds and offering a top speed of 142mph, the Alfa Brera 2.4 JTDM will also return more than 52mpg on motorway journeys, prompting motoring journalist Simon Hacker to say: “This engine spells a practical proposition too. Grand touring couldn’t be grander.”