Following the success of its Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA-inspired GT Electric restomod, Italy's Totem Automobili has returned with a gas-powered version of its homage to Alfa Romeo's iconic homologation special.
Known as the GT Super, the gas-powered model was revealed on Thursday ahead of a formal debut during the 2023 Salon Privé, which starts in the U.K. on Aug. 30.
Calling Totem's cars restomods doesn't really do them justice. Although each starts as an original Alfa Romeo Giulia GT Junior 1300 or 1600 from the early 1970s, only about 10% of the donor car remains.
The transformation starts with the donor car being disassembled and stripped down, with only the bulkhead remaining, which Totem then merges with a carbon-fiber monocoque for the passenger cell. The body is also made from carbon fiber to help keep weight down while adding strength and rigidity. Totem said the body meets the latest E.U. and U.S. safety standards.
Totem GT Super
Steel subframes are mounted front and rear, with aluminum used for double-wishbone suspension at both ends. The wheels are an 18-inch aluminum set wrapped in either Pirelli's P Zero or Trofeo R tires, and housed within are Brembo brakes with 4-piston fixed calipers front and rear.
For the exterior design, Totem made subtle changes rather than simply copying the lines of the Giulia GTA. The GT Super has four headlights instead of the original two, the C-pillar design is tweaked, and the Alfa Romeo badge lacks the bars of the original. Totem also redesigned the rear of the car to improve aerodynamics, and created a flat floor with rear air extractors in an effort to generate downforce.
Totem GT Super
The powertrain is a twin-turbocharged 2.8-liter V-6 with dry sump lubrication. It's a donor unit that is heavily worked over by Totem for the GT Super. A standard version delivers 600 hp and an available version spins out a much more thrilling 750 hp—thrilling, because the car's curb weight is a claimed 2,601 pounds. The transmission is a 6-speed manual mounted at the rear axle for improved weight distribution.
Maximum performance includes a 0-62 mph time of 3.2 seconds and a governed top speed of 155 mph. That's comparable to the performance of the electric version, whose latest specifications include a 0-62 mph time of 2.9 seconds. The electric version also has been upgraded with an 81-kwh battery, up from 50.4 kwh previously, which Totem estimates can deliver a range of more than 250 miles.
Totem GT Super
In both cases drive goes to the rear wheels only.
Like the body and chassis, the interior also blends modernity with classic themes. Physical controls and analog gauges remain, but they are joined by some digital elements and modern carbon-fiber bucket seats based on an original Giulia GT design. Totem plans to individually mold the driver seat to each customer. The pedals will also be aligned to the customer's shoe size.
Totem GT Super
“With the Totem GT, we keep the design, we keep the aesthetic of the original, but in the end, it’s a new car,” said Riccardo Quaggio, a former Honda and Alfa Romeo designer who founded Totem in 2018. “The whole project is built around relentless research processes of engineering solutions, that made it possible to overcome the mechanics and structures of the original GT, establishing new standards never achieved before.”
Totem hasn't announced pricing, but the company listed the GT Electric with a starting price of 430,000 euros (approximately $470,000) when the car was first shown in 2020. Order books are open for both models. Totem said the cars can be certified worldwide and come with a 2-year manufacturer warranty.
