Heresy? Let's leave this "philosophical discussion" for another day, because the depth of the changes made in this Totem Automobili GT Electric in relation to the car that gave it its foundation, an Alfa Romeo Giulia GT Junior 1300/1600 (1970-1975), it is such that it is effectively about something else.
Only 10% of the original chassis remains, which has been “fused” to a new aluminum base and reinforced with an integrated rollcage. The body panels are no longer metallic and are now made of carbon fiber, which allowed the lines of the original to be further refined. Without forgetting that, in the image of the inspiring muse, the Giulia GTA, the bodywork was properly “muscled”.
To shape the 95 kg of carbon fiber it contains takes 6000 hours spread over 18 artisans!
And of course, under the hood we're not going to find a “poisonous” four-cylinder in-line — by the way, under the hood we're not going to find any engines. This one, now electric, was installed directly on the rear axle in a new sub-frame created for the purpose. They are 525 hp (518 bhp) and 940 Nm, numbers completely unthinkable when the Giulia GTAs dominated the circuits of the 60s — the most powerful Giulia GTAs on the road were fixed at 115 hp, the competition at 240 hp (GTAm).
Subscribe to our newsletter
With so much power and power, it only takes 3.4s to reach 100 km/h, with the electric motor seeing its energy needs met by a 50.4 kWh battery of “only” 350 kg. Enough to do 320 km of autonomy at… normal paces.
An electric that pretends not to be electric
The irony of Totem Automobili GT Electric is revealed in the extent to which its creators have taken steps to make the driving experience as little… electric as possible. They effectively tried to emulate everything that an internal combustion engine can bring to enrich the driving experience.
Yes, this electric not only makes noise, it is also capable of simulating various torque and power curves, transmission ratios (have you seen the gearshift inside?), engine-brake effect, just like if it were a genuine car with combustion engine. All parameters are customizable and we can choose from a series of engines and change them to our liking.
Yes, it's a stick that emulates the action of a real handbox!
For this purpose, GT Electric also comes equipped with 13 McFly speakers, capable of generating up to 125 dB (!) of external sound, in order to guarantee that all the noise and even vibrations that only an internal combustion engine can (could) ?) generate — the Playstation became real! A glimpse into the future?
Only 20 units
The first deliveries of the Totem Automobili GT Electric are expected to start in the summer of 2022. Only 20 units will be produced — most of them seem to have already found an owner, says Totem Automobili — with prices starting at €430,000!
