Unfortunate news for enthusiasts of Alfa Romeo who enjoy getting beneath their vehicle by the roadside and getting their hands completely covered in grease. A fresh Italian startup named Totem Automobili has not just eliminated the Webers from your cherished vintage Alfa Romeo Giulia – they have also ditched the engine entirely. With an electric powertrain replacing the original motor, this widebody Alfa, known as the “GT electric,” or simply “GTe,” delivers 518 horsepower to the road. However, it’s more than just a straightforward exchange.
Aside from the fresh powertrain, the vehicle receives all-new interior and exterior components. Effectively, the car is reconstructed from the ground up. After disassembling a 1970s GT Junior 1300/1600 to its bare framework, the car is strengthened to ensure it won’t endanger you in a collision or crumple like an accordion when you inevitably choose to floor the accelerator. Following the completion of safety precautions, the vehicle’s fenders are extended outward, and numerous additional aesthetic adjustments are made, both internally and externally. One could argue that it’s hardly recognizable as the same car anymore.
Indeed, Totem Automobili claims that very little of the initial Alfa remains – only 10 percent of the original body structure is retained. This makes one question why they even began with a vintage Alfa in the first place. The suspension is also nearly entirely revamped, with fresh front Macpherson strut setup, rear multilink suspension, and rear subframe. Equipped with Bilstein shocks that are manually adjustable at each corner, the GT electric is certainly poised to be an electric powerhouse on the racetrack.
Notably, it features a carbon fiber body to help counterbalance the battery weight, and with significantly wider tires than the original model – plus 518 horsepower – the GT electric can achieve 60 miles per hour in just 3.4 seconds. Beyond its performance capabilities, the 50.4-kilowatt-hour battery pack will provide a decent 224 miles of range, and amenities like air conditioning and keyless ignition are also included. One could reasonably consider driving this car on a daily basis.
Nevertheless, the availability of one of the 20 units remains ambiguous, and Totem Automobili has not disclosed the price. The probable answer is seemingly going to be a substantial amount, yet the question arises: Are we referring to a price too exorbitant for anyone to bear? Or a price so unreasonable that one might contemplate selling their property to afford it? These are the essential queries that require addressing.
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