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Handmade excellence in Geneve

Stefano Minelli

Handmade excellence in Geneve

The Geneva International motor show (Geneva International motor show), a world-renowned event, returned after five years to the shores of Lake Geneva from Feb. 27 to March 3, 2024. The absence of international automotive groups such as Volkswagen or Stellantis led to a massive reduction of the show. Removing most of the major European brands, however, left ample space for the novice Chinese firms emerging in the world of sustainable mobility. On the "catwalk" were small, high-end manufacturers such as Totem and Kimera automobiles all the way to the world of sports simulator and virtual reality.
Regarding luxury handcrafted cars, Totem automobili presented the new Totem GTAmodified, a restmood of the famous Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm, the sports version of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Gt Junior, designed by Turin-based carrozzeria Bertone in the 1960s. The new Totem is a tribute to sportiness but with the elegance and class that has always accompanied the brand's products.
The car, externally, is covered in exposed carbon (see photos in the gallery), for unparalleled lightness: only 1095 kg in weight, 200 kg less than its little sister GTsuper. It should be noted that it is powered by a 3.2-liter V6 engine with the insane figure of 810 horsepower (210 more than the GTsuper) that gives it a 0-100km/h in 2.6 seconds, in short supercar performance and inimitable elegance.
To be able to afford a Totem we are talking about a price list starting from 500 thousand euros basic version, plus 100 thousand euros of accessories without VAT. "Our target audience is enthusiasts, people who already have a car fleet of a certain type, who know the Alfa Romeo brand for the history it has in the racing world and who want something different from the standard product, from traditional supercars", reports a Totem technician. Their cars focus heavily on elegance, style, and class, but regardless of that, the technical solutions and engines chosen mean that the cars have race car performance."We target a worldwide customer base, particularly the United States, Russia, China, Germany, and England. Countries where the Alfa brand is recognized as a brand of a certain level and where they understand the importance of heritage and history.
The buyers of these cars are generally entrepreneurs, there is no shortage of interested parties in the entertainment world and celebrities," the manager points out. Totem cars are completely handcrafted and made-to-order cars, with the feature of being able to choose every last detail: interior leathers, upholstery, paint, carbon (which can also be chosen by the customer in different ways), and especially the choice of engine, which can be electric and gasoline. The Totem GTsuper, or the gasoline variant, has a 2.8-liter V6 engine with an impressive 600 horsepower that propels the car from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds. Then there is the electric variant the Totem GTeletcric, with 590 horsepower and a 0 to 100 km/h boost in just 2.9 seconds. The latter can offer a speaker that simulates the sound of the gasoline engine of its "sister" GTsuper. But what is really the point of reproducing the sound of a gasoline engine on an electric car? The brand aims not to lose the historicity and sportiness of the Alfa Romeo brand by trying to make the customer experience a similar feeling to the gasoline car. However, an idea that has been advised against by Totem's own engineers.

 

04/03/2024