[ARM] Automation RestoMod Chapter 5: Alfa GTA Dilemma (Final results posted)

karhgath · 28 March 2021 22:15

ARM 5 – ALFA GTA DILEMMA

GENERAL ARM RULES

Automation RestoMod (ARM) is a challenge series focused on taking older, preferably real cars and restomodding them. The criteria for modding are provided by each host, and vary Chapter to Chapter. For a more in-depth description of the ARM vision and to get a feeling for the flavour the series so far, please read through the previous Chapters. Welcome to Chapter five.

THE CAR FOR THIS CHAPTER

For this round you are provided with a 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA. This is an iconic Quadrifoglio-badged Alfa of that era. Compared to the base car, the GTA was custom-ordered directly from Autodelta, the racing division of Alfa Romeo. This specific model was one of the rare base Stradale (street version) that was produced for homologation without customizations - most of the 500 produced ended up as custom orders. The “A” in GTA meant Alleggerita, lightweight and like the rest of 105 series, it was designed by Bertone. This was the genesis of the GTA badge for Alfa, and went on to achieve great racing success throughout decades. This was the epitome of classic Italian racing and competition car with a classic look that is still quite striking today. Many more versions came out in later years (Junior, GTAm), but this original one is in an unmodified condition, so the canvas is blank. See more here: Alfa Romeo GTA - Wikipedia

THE CLIENT

Marco Bertoldi is from Turin, Italy. His father passed away when he was very young. After a career in rally and motorsports, his dad started restoring old classic italian cars. Last year, around Marco’s 19th birthday, his family had to move from Turin to Bologna. He had to clear out the old garage - it had not been touched for nearly 15 years. While filled mostly with junk and carcasses of cars beyond hope, there was still the old partially restored Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA - all the components were there, even the matching motor, but it was halfway through. The last project his father undertook but could not finish.

While his father grew up around classic italian cars, Marco did not inherit that passion - however, he is an avid WRC and WEC fan. He also knows the rules and car specs of WRC like the back of his hand. He also loves racing with his buddies anywhere he can (and dare) with his 2008 Audi S3, although repairs are starting to pile up - he’ll have to consider changing it at some point with another fast but hopefully reliable car.

He’s also dreaming one day of getting his rally license and follow in his dad’s footstep, but that is a lot of work. The only thing he knows for sure is that he’s going to finish that GTA his father started. Marco does not have any mechanical talents to undertake this, so he will be reaching out to restomodding firms.

He inherited a large sum from his father and kept a portion of it safe (or more accurately, his mother forced him to), while spending the rest left and right as any young lad would do. He’s never been good with money and is eager to get this project going. He is unsure about what to do with it however - he could either restomod it as a classic car, honoring the respect his father had for these cars, or build a rally-spec car out of it he could brag about and practice with it to get his rally license, following in his father’s footstep.

Marco will need a bit of guidance here - like any dreamer he has a lot of ideas but he’s really not sure what he really wants. In any case, he’s thinking it needs to be fast and look great doing it.

HOW THIS WORKS

Download this .car file: ARM5-yournamehere_-_CLONE_THIS_MODEL_Alfa_Romeo_Giulia_Sprint_GTA_(Stradale).car (50.9 KB)

Import the car into Automation.
Clone both the CAR MODEL and ENGINE FAMILY.
Open the car model, and swap the engine to the cloned one if you plan to use the original GTA engine. Otherwise start new engine project for the car.
Forward year on both car model and engine family to 2020.
Set the names according to this standard:

Engine Family: ARM5 – [forum name]
Engine Variant: [engine name]
Car Model: ARM5 – [forum name]
Car Trim: [car name]
Start modding.
When finished, export car and PM your cloned and modded .car file back to me.
Sit back and wait for results.

If you have trouble with cloning or don’t know how to do it, please watch this tutorial video. It will save me headaches when importing your car, and will save you getting binned:

RULES

For this Chapter, you may not change the body type.
Do NOT change any morphs, except wheel arches. You are allowed body moldings and 2D/3D fixtures to alter body shape.
Do NOT change chassis type, chassis material or chassis quality.
You may change panel material, engine placement and suspension type, but it does affect Authenticity.
You may swap the engine out, but with a sizeable penalty as numbers matching is important for Authenticity. Some swaps are more advantageous than others. A big pushrod V8 here might not be the best of ideas for an Italian light car, but swapping to sister engine is more authentic. You still lose the number matching tho, but it might very well be worth it.
You may turbocharge the original 1.6L engine. It comes with a smaller Authenticity penalty than swapping out the engine, and keeps the number matching.
Do NOT exceed 140 ET for the engine.
Do NOT exceed 140 ET for the car.
Do NOT exceed a final cost of $50,000 (Approximate Cost shown in Detail Stats).
Do NOT have worse than 10.0 l/100km fuel economy
Do NOT have more than one wing fixture, and no more than one lip and one spoiler. Must be visible and on body. No hidden aero. Aero will incur Authenticity penalties, to various degrees.
Do make sure to use unleaded fuel, 98 RON or lower.
Do have ESC installed.
Do have at least two seats (in the front row). 4 seats help Authenticity.
Do have noise levels below or equal to 50.
Do have a 3-way catalytic converter.
Do make sure to forward the year on everything to 2020.
And again, please please please make sure everything is cloned properly, and cloned or new engine swapped in (see above).

Failing any of these requirements will lead to an instabin. Please double-check your work before submission!

JUDGING CRITERIA

SPORTINESS: It goes without saying, but this a sport car - Marco wants it to go fast and feel like it’s a race car.

AESTHETICS & UNIQUENESS: Marco is not a classic car purist at all, he could care less - he wants something that pops and looks fast! However, he also does not want to be branded a complete heretic either - he still has a lot of friend from Turin who are rabid Alfa Romeo fans. He knows the original look is iconic for sure. Going with tons of crazy bodywork might not be the best strategy here, but keeping them tasteful can be huge for uniqueness. Do make sure to also include an interior render. While not a hard requirement to build an interior, it will be a judging criterion and it will be exceedingly difficult to win without one. This is where you can standout, so surprise Marco. Make Bertone proud.

AUTHENTICITY: Remaining authentic to the original car components can bring a sizable bonus in terms of rep from his friends and family - this means number matching non-turbo engine, drive type, panels, seating arrangement, no aero.

DRIVABILITY: Marco is not a race driver (yet) so keeping it under control is also important, as is getting there in one piece.

PRESTIGE: Prestige is important for this build. The more prestige, the more creds Marco will get.

WEIGHT: This is a GT “A”, so bloating it with heavy components is not a good approach. Lighter is always better.

OFFROAD: Marco will for sure bring the car in the dirt or snow at some point to race against his friends and practice if he ever gets his rally license.

ATT LAP TIME: Marco now lives 40 minutes from Imola - he might be tempted for a track day, bring it to other local tracks, or simply bring it to the streets. While he’s not a pro yet to fully achieve those track times, a low Automation Test Track lap time is always a good thing to brag about.

SAFETY: While not as important as some other stats, it might be a good thing to keep safety in mind, considering the use Marco will make of it (… and his track record).

OTHER STATS: Use common sense, and don’t make it worse than the original! They all can be used as tiebreakers, and some might tie in more to the brief than others and be desirable. Pay attention.

Some inspiration to get your creative juices going

Rules will be open for debate until 23:59 (11:59 PM) EST March 30th.

Submission deadline is 23:59 (11:59 PM) EST April 12th.

Portalkat42 · 29 March 2021 00:35

On an authenticity front, how would Marco feel about putting in a different engine from the alfa romeo family that’s from the same time period as the original? and about increasing the internal capacity of the engine the car already has to get more hp?

abg7 · 29 March 2021 00:38

That’s certainly true, but even race cars need some form of drivability to be of any use, so it would make sense to include that in the judging criteria as well.

karhgath · 29 March 2021 01:10

Yes, a typical Alfa or similar engine is better than a pushrod V8, it will bring much less of a penalty, but still is not number matching. It was not a block that you could bore out and such tho, and a full rebuild or swapping the block would also nullify the number matching. I added wording that some swaps are more advantageous than others, but you still have a base penalty. It might very well be worth it tho.

karhgath · 29 March 2021 01:11

Thanks, good catch, it got lost in my criteria shuffling.

karhgath · 29 March 2021 04:02

Added rules about Aero and slightly modified the criteria ordering after more aero testing.

karhgath · 31 March 2021 19:16

I forgot to announce that the rules are locked and submissions are opened.

AMuteCrypt · 6 April 2021 08:35

Bespoke Restomods proudly presents…

The BRM Giulia "Tipo 33"

Back in the sixties, the Giulia wasn’t the only car to come from Autodelta. If you had a decent amount more money, you might have been able to pick up one of 18 examples of the 33 Stradale - an Alfa with world-beating performance, managing the fastest standing kilometer of its day despite its relatively small 2L V8. It was a street-going version of the Tipo 33, a car which managed some exceptional results through the late sixties and seventies, including the Mille Maglia and the World Sportscar Championship. Both the Stradale and racing versions featured a DOHC 2V design, an aluminium block and head and a cross-plane crankshaft. BRM has produced a modern re-creation of the engine, adding in modern fuel injection and valvetrain control.

In ARM’s concept for the Giulia, it is mated to a RWD drivetrain with a six-speed manual transmision, as in the Tipo 33. It currently uses medium-compound tyres, allowing for good performance off-road without compromising on-road performance. Dual vents at the front and rear, inspired by the 33 Stradale, provide enhanced airflow to the vented disk brakes to make sure it can stop on demand. Lightweight bucket seats and a holographic-projection HUD provide maximal comfort and ease of use while keeping the weight under 1.25 metric tons, allowing the car to use just 8.8 litres per 100km. All panels and chassis elements have been kept original, and zero downforce has been added.

HelloHi · 7 April 2021 18:06

The ALFAworks Giulia GTA-Z by Sunset Garage.

Dearest Marco, we would like to present this one-of-a-kind creation we have prepared with lots of care and a dash of why-the-hell-not.

When we started work on our concept, we realized right off the bat, that despite the beautiful design, one thing was really missing: A powerful and yet still soulful engine. So we did what any other crazy and passionate team of restomodders would do: shoved a 450hp, naturally aspirated, Alfa Romeo V8 making 450hp and shared with Ferrari under the hood. Of course, this clearly isn't any old engine. This is the engine from the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, a limited-run car straddling the line between grand tourer, sports car and supercar. How did we get it? Luckily and unluckily, some rich idiot crashed his 8C on the way out of its garage, and we bought the totaled car with a fortunately intact engine off Copart and set off to work. After a litlle fiddling and replacing the 32v DOHC with much narrower 32v SOHC so the engine would have a shot at fitting, we miraculously managed to fit the engine in the bay. However, 450hp simply wouldn't be enough, and we were slightly under the fuel efficiency targets of the brief. So we did what any maniacs would do: We fitted twin turbos on to the engine for a large boost of extra power and a massive improvement in efficiency. Now up to 550hp after a retuning, we realized the car would need a lot of upgrading to handle the extra power. We gave the car some nice and chunky fresh tires, retuned the 5-speed manual transmission, and put in a state-of-the-art electronic differential and variable electric power steering for a good connection to the road. However: there was also an offroad section of the brief to meet. As we redid the suspension with better, high-tech components, we fitted some offroad sway bars and a skidtray for competency off the beaten path. But that still wasn't all: We needed to make the car look the part. Of course, it would be blasphemy to give this car the normal Sunset Garage treatment when the lines are already so beautiful and perfect, and in our European ALFAworks division, we believe much more heavily in retaining the style of the design. So, instead of hotrodding it, we modernized and reimagined it, cleaned up the lines, repainted it in beautiful Cardinal Pearlescent, and gave it some sporty and stylish fender flares. Inside, we created a bespoke sport interior with modern infotainment, a nice, chunky shift knob for rowing the gears and a full rollcage for safety both on- and off- road. The result, we feel, is completely unique and respects the past while embracing the future. Marco, we hope this wacky idea will be a car you can cherish and enjoy for years to come, and thank you for considering our proposal.

Moar pics

HighOctaneLove · 10 April 2021 02:24

LS1 the World!: BSB Alfa Giulia GTA

Boot Scootin' Bodyworks strikes again!

Classic Italian styling? Check. Road Rally spec handling? Check. GM LS1?!?! Check and check!!!

Here at BSB, we believe that there is no such car that cannot be improved by any one of the LS family of engines. But when you’re modifying classic Italian Pre-Oxide of Iron you have to show a little class…

So we installed a 4.8L LS7 and Italified that Yank using a flatplane crank. Now this petite Italian Stallion screams like a big-bore Ducati on it’s way to over 250Km/h and still uses under 10L per 100Km!

It’s stock inside (other than a digital display and an Android touchscreen) so no-one will know you’re packing a big-iron under the hood until it’s waaay to late, so hit us up if this is the direction you’d like your project to go in.

cake_ape · 10 April 2021 17:49

Mons Customs

Introducing the

Alfa Romeo GT-A

Dear Mr. Bertoldi,

Please accept this letter as our formal offer to restomod your iconic 1965 Alfa Romeo Guilia Sprint GTA. We understand your love for motorsports both on and off-road, and would like to help you achieve your dreams with this restomod build. True to Mons Customs tradition, we aim to preserve as much of the original vehicle as possible while giving it a refreshed yet authentic look and feel. If you choose our custom shop, we guarantee the best experience in your custom modded Alfa both on and off-track that you can imagine!

AUTHENTICITY

Mons Customs has opted to retain much of the original components of your Alfa. It sports the original panels and naturally aspirated 1.56L I4 engine, seating arrangement with four full seats, and no additional aero pieces. Even the custom body panels remain true to the original’s shape while adding a tasteful and traditional Alfa-sport type flair. While much improved in many areas, this car remains the real deal and would be the proud possession of any true Alfa collector!

SPORTINESS

Mons Customs once again paired up with Mons Racing to retune the engine and develop the drivetrain for this vehicle. The mission was to keep as many original parts as possible. Mons Racing has been able to squeeze the last bit of performance out of the engine, while retaining complete authenticity. The new Alfa laps the ATT track over 20 s faster than the original! The new idle sound of the improved engine is simply music to any car enthusiast’s ears. The car has been switched to front-wheel drive, however, and the drivetrain switched to a modern and sporty dual-clutch system.

DRIVABILITY and SAFETY

Due to the new front-wheel drive system, user-friendly clutch system, ESC, electric variable power steering, and modern safety features including a full roll-cage, the car is extremely easy to drive and safe to handle. The custom body panels front and rear are easy to replace in case of a minor oopsie too, so you’ll spend more time on track than in a garage fixing dings.

OFFROAD

The car as pictured ships standard with sports tires for best on-track experience. We have, however, tuned the suspension stock to also be off-road capable, and ship the car with a full set of off-road rims and tires. All you have to do is swap the wheels and the car is ready to take on the rally trails. Better yet, the car comes with a full off-road skid tray to protect the undercarriage wherever you take the Alfa!

Mr. Bertoldi, please find attached photorealistic renders of our vision for your Alfa GTA and detailed specifications. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Mons Customs

Under the hood

Mons Racing has been able to squeeze every last drop of performance out of the stock engine, which now has over 175 BHP. In terms of performance, the car manages an acceleration of under 6.5 s and a top speed of over 245 km/h, not to mention the face-molding G-forces in both high and low-speed cornering. The engine is now on full display under a glass-domed hood, so you will be able to easily show off the new power plant.

Interior

The Mons Customs GT-A comes with a sports interior and premium HUD for ultimate sportiness while also providing a good amount of comfort. The modern HUD system ensures that you spend more time with your eyes on the road and less looking at instrumentation. We kept but modified the original Alfa steering wheel with an integrated airbag, steering wheel controls and paddle shifters. Authenticity meets modern convenience throughout the whole cabin. The entertainment system is, of course, also second to none, with 11 speakers placed around the cabin - just in case you get tired of listening to the beautiful engine notes of the revamped engine and exhaust.

Exterior

Mons Customs has aimed to retain as much of the original look of the Alfa as possible. We did opt to widen the wheel arches and replace some of the front and rear panels with a more modular and sporty design. This will allow for quick fixes and changing of elements in case of minor accidents on-track. The front and rear lights have been updated to modern fixtures. We also added rally-lights for those nighttime excursions and tow hooks for any track side mishaps. While the fuel system has been completely modernized to adhere to modern track and road safety standards, we did disguise the fuel cap in a retro look. We also added roof bulges, which not only enhance the sporty looks of the car, but are also functional - you’ll fit much easier wearing a helmet!

Arn38fr · 11 April 2021 08:14

Alfa Romeo Guilia Sprint GTA by A.M. Garage

At A.M. garage, we took the time to talk to Marco Bertoldi to understand his story, that of his family, his personality and his desires. Following this long interview, we spoke with our teams and drew up a list of keywords which guided the design of our Alfa Romeo Guilia Sprint GTA: authenticity, sobriety, rally & daily driving.

In terms of exterior style, we have chosen to favor sobriety and Bertone's design respect The front and rear optics have therefore been reworked while preserving their shape and modernizing their appearance. LED technology has enabled us to achieve this goal. The wheel arches have been slightly widened to accommodate wider wheels featuring rims with a design inspired by the latest productions of the ‘Biscione’ carmaker. For the color, we opted for a glossy ceramic gray which emphasizes the curves of the body. To prepare the car for the rally, we have removed the front and rear bumpers (that's ten kilos saved), added two tow hooks marked with a yellow arrow and two bonnet clips. To underline its Italian origins, the car is decorated with the Italian flag running from the hood to the trunk and Alfa Romeo stripping on the side sills.

Technically, we opted for authenticity: we kept the original engine by considerably modernizing fuel system and exhaust. To improve weight distribution, the fuel tank has been moved to the rear seats. As a result, the rear seats are reduced, transforming this 4-seater coupe into 2 + 2. The fuel cap has been moved to the top of the trunk. The original running gear are retained but the shock absorber spring assembly uses electronics so that the chassis can perform at its best.

Inside, the designers were given more freedom because the original pieces were too damaged to be used. The interior has been completely redesigned in a retro-design spirit combining leather, black or fawn, black Alcantara for the roof skinpaint, chrome t and various elements painted in the color of the body. To improve the safety and rigidity of the vehicle while preserving access to the rear seats, we have integrated a discreet roll bar behind the front seats.

More pictures

photographic technique inspired by @Boiled_Steak

karhgath · 11 April 2021 12:50

We’re already in the last 48 hours, I only received entries from:

@cake_ape
@HighOctaneLove
@AMuteCrypt

karhgath · 13 April 2021 04:14

Event is closed now. Results will be posted in the next days.

karhgath · 15 April 2021 18:02

Initial Review and Bins

It is late at night, Marco just came back from the club. Maybe it’s time to see if he received any proposal for his father’s GTA?

To his surprise, he received 5 offers! He can’t wait to see what they are. He’s really hoping he can find the one car that will fill his every desires. I’m sure professional restomodding firms are up to the task??

Might not be the best of times to do this, but Marco got super excited about seeing his future acquisition. His mind is racing.

And away he clicks…

The order of review is the order I received the submissions, not the final ranking

@AMuteCrypt - BRM Guilia 33

Marco checked the first entry from Bespoke Restomod. This promises to be a classic italian stallion, a DNA mix of the GTA with a 33 Stradale. Marco had to google what that was - nice, a cool looking curvy sport car. Then he looked at the render. “Hmmm. Yeah, I do not really see it visually”, he mumbled to himself. The additional body details, to try to hint at a 33, did not really work. Marco found the look to be even a tiny bit worse than the stock GTA that he didn’t love to start with, it just didn’t work well together. It tried being unique, but unfortunately that did not resonate with Marco. However, he was curious what was under the hood and looked at the spec sheet and simulations.

What he found was encouraging! It does not have the worse HP with a small lightweight performance Italian V8, but it is not as sporty as he would have liked, and it is quite heavy. Everything else seems to fit tho - it is drivable, it has the best offroad performance he’d seen and is pretty safe! Looking at secondary stats, it seemed like the ideal daily driver - great comfort, ok fuel econ and practicality, good reliability and super low service cost. Hmmmmm. That could replace his aging S3, and he could go drift in the dirt with it whenever he wanted. The low power output did bother him and looking further he found out why: this slowpoke of a car did the track simulation the slowest at a paltry 2:26.31. Why put an Italian sport V8 in an heavy and blocky car that can’t use it properly on the track? It seemed a bit weird of a choice. It did not feel super prestigious either.

Unless other proposals are a letdown, this probably is not the best fit for him. “Where’s the performance?”, he wondered.

OOC: I must commend you for moving my hand-made quadrifoglio badge somewhere else when you could have just used a modded badge instead

@HighOctaneLove - BSB Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA

Marco then moved on to the next proposal from Boot Scootin’ Bodyworks. chuckles. Ok, need to get back on track. On the first look, it really looks like a classic GTA. A few embellishment here and there, a bit of extra brake cooling at the back and engine cooling on the hood, not bad - subtle, classy. He does not love the original classic GTA look, but this is pretty authentic. There was, however, nothing unique about it. The lip was retained tho, which is one thing he loved and found quirky on his dad’s GTA. However, Marco was super disappointed that there was no render of the interior - it is pretty important to have a cool looking interior. He’ll have to use his imagination, and at 4:00 in the morning with a hangover, it is not easy to do.

He quickly moved on to the spec sheet. Then he was assaulted by a flurry of modifications all across the board. What is a GM LS7 engine, he wondered. After a few searches, it seemed like a big motor from the USA. However, that was a 4.8L engine in the specsheet - maybe they reduced the original size to make it fit? The engine bay looked like a mess, with hardly any space to work. It’s probably not the best of ideas, he thought. It did however promise performance, unlike the last entry. 334hp? check. Only 1152kg? check. Sporty feeling? check. 0-100 in 4.7 seconds? check. 1:13.07 around the simulated track? check. Ahh, now Marco’s eyes were lit up. It even has incredible reliability. Maybe that GM company is know for its high reliability?

Then he dig further and was disappointed. This was a track car, not an offroad car. Ok, not the end of the world, I can race with friends and stuff. However, everything was changed, barely nothing original was left. Even the 2 seats were removed at the back, it has bad fuel econ, is barely drivable and is not really comfortable. There is no way he can replace his S3 with it and nothing about it reminds him of World Rally Cars. It’s just another track car with the shell of his dad’s GTA. He’ll have to think about it, but he’s sure other entries will be more exciting, right?

@cake_ape - Mons Customs Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA (Stradale)

After snoozing off for a few seconds, he shook his head and went on to check the next entry from Mons Customs. Oh wow, compared to the other entries, it sure has an attitude! While not super authentic exterior, it still evokes the original GTA but puts it firmly in the 21st century. It’s pretty unique for sure, and the exterior is really pretty, with nice details and touches. The interior is not all it could be, it is a bit barebone - not an issue for the track or the dirt, but he’s thinking more and more about replacing his S3 with his dad’s GTA. However, the specs sheet hints at the interior being extremely comfortable. That was encouraging. Drivability and safety were through the roof as well. Sure, it kept the original engine and they did not even turbo charge it, but it seemed on point - it just would have been cool to have a turbo 1.6L like in the WRC.

Looking at performance specs, it really is not the fastest in a straight line, with a worse of the pack 0-100 at 6.43 seconds. However, the small engine and small car did pretty good on the track - not the best, but it can handle itself with 2:19.2 time around the track, which is the important part for Marco - drags are not really a thing here anyway. It comes with the highest cost of the bunch, but it still looks pretty enticing now. Looking at the changes made to it, he was impressed - it is pretty close to the original and authentic in the engineering, even if the look is not. However, the few changes done to it - moving to FWD and using a 7-speed DCT did not speak to Marco - sure it looks performance-driven, but it would have been cool if the car would have been all-wheel drive and used a sequential gearbox instead, like in the WRC. With the 1.6L engine, rally lights and rugged look, it could have been a really cool WRC-like car to brag about!

Overall it seemed middling - good performance, not the best. Good looks, but not totally authentic, and looking further the service cost are high, and he found out it the fuel economy is really bad. It could replace his S3, but not a perfect fit for that. However, be was super bummed when he saw the car did not handle rough surfaces very well. “They want me to bother changing tires?”, he said to himself. He’s need to go to the garage for that. Why didn’t anyone read his mind and offered him the perfect car yet, he wondered.

@Arn38fr - Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA (Stradale) V8

Still convinced he’d get the perfect submission, he moved on to the next entry. Wow. The look is striking. The interior is incredibly well detailed. It feels super authentic. It has a 1.6L turbo charged. Looks like a great daily driver as well. Has shades of a WRC and the look for it. But then he looked at the spec sheet in details. Why isn’t this car more competitive, he asked himself. Then he found out why - the firm would not bother upgrading everything to modern components and leaves tons of 1965 parts in. A shame.

Binned: did not update car model year and engine family year to 2020. A real shame, I loved this entry, but stats just could not compete with this unfortunate blunder.

@HelloHi - Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA-Z by ALFAworks

Marco was getting restless at this point, and angrily clicked at the last submission. He’ll never find something perfect. It was simple, no? So, ALFAworks. First look is ok. Nothing striking. Looks pretty authentic with some body changes here and there. Not the best looking of the bunch, but serviceable. Another proposal with a V8, this time from a modern 8C Competizione. That one he knew. The power is staggering as well, 550 horsepower. 550. He had trouble wrapping his head around it and got super excited. He kept digging. Super sporty. Looks really prestigious, offroad performance is better than most proposal, and it has the best track performance of all at 2:11.19. It is a bit high on the price, but he has the cash.

Looking further, the interior is not that great. The fact it is only a two seater with a prominent roll cage, but does not scream rally in its look, is a let down. Suspension is modified, but the original gearbox is retained. Like all proposal he received, the original aluminium panels are kept intact.

Reading further, he saw it was the heaviest car of the bunch at 1367 kg. So much for Alleggerita. It was not super driveable and not comfortable, so much for a daily driver. Especially when he saw the service costs : 5622!! 13 inch rims super wide staggered tires probably explains part of it. Kind of weird. This starts to feel like it is a car you keep in your garage and drive on a flatbed… He now realized what he had asked. Fuel economy was pretty good tho, and reliability as well. A worthy entry, but not making it easy to decide anything tonight.

Now it is getting pretty late.

Marco will need to sleep on it, and maybe talk about it with friends and family. He’ll have to figure out what he really wants - a rally car, a track car or replace his aging S3. He knew deep down he could not get everything he wanted, but he hoped someone would figure it out for him.

Arn38fr · 15 April 2021 18:26

Arf! I didn’t undestood well the rules… I thought I just had to set variant and trim to 2020… I will do better next time! I really loved designing this car. I would gladly bought it!

karhgath · 15 April 2021 18:43

Yeah, a shame, sorry. I LOVED the styling on this, and with 2020 all around, the stats could have been very competitive. ARM and BRS have a lot of little rules you need to fully understand. I got binned on my first ARM as well.

Maverick74 · 15 April 2021 23:15

I am saddened that no one built a GTA with a Busso V6.

HighOctaneLove · 15 April 2021 23:24

D’oh! I’ve either clearly missed the reference to the WRC or I’ve interpreted the “Rally” to be road rallying not hardcore forest trail work.

Booy Scootin’ Bodyworks officially apologises for this oversight; We’ll re-work our proposal and submit it, post-competition, to see if we ould have done better!

Also, I get my inspiration from Wikipedia regarding the LS series; it officially spans 4.8L to 7.0L in the same family!

Finally, which era of the WRC does Marco prefer? I don’t want to build a 1.6L replica if he’s in love with the old Escort BDA days, hahaha!

EDIT: I’m also blind, hahaha!

(emphasis added by HighOctaneLove)

So @karhgath please let me know which era Marco prefers and I’ll send you a post competition present, hahaha!

karhgath · 16 April 2021 00:36

Hahaha, it was not a major aspect of it, he’s just a fan of WRC and that could influence his thinking, but I did not necessarily expect everyone to provide a WRC or offroad car (it is not high in priority) - he’s young, do not know what he really wants but also wants it to do everything, and he has money. The perfect storm.

As for the LS, he knows nothing about american cars or history, so that was more him being confused than me

And yeah, he’s young and following the current era of WRC and WEC. As I said he’s not really into old or classic cars, so he does not care about an Escort or what Cosworth means, or even the glory days of Italy. A turbo 1.6L with sequential gearbox, AWD and proper fixtures could have influenced him slightly… if the rest met the brief. But a daily driver was another preference he had and could help push him in a direction, as well as a more track/road rally car.

We will see soon where he will end up on all this. Basically, it was (almost?) impossible to try to cater to his every wants and desires completely anyway.