Review by CoMod Carrera124 on the Carrera DIGITAL 132/Evolution Alfa Romeo GTA Silhouette Race 2 (Art.No. 30625/27416)
Technical data:
Weight (complete vehicle with magnets): 87 grams Weight (body): 25 grams Length including spoiler: 135 mm Wheelbase: 73.5 mm Track width (front axle): 52 mm Track width (rear axle): 53 mm Other: Independent front suspension
Generally:
This vehicle was certainly one of the biggest surprises in the 2012 lineup; no one had anticipated it. For me, it's definitely the most interesting and one of the most beautiful new releases of the year, across all scales. The somewhat more understated versions without the wild wing system have already been brought to the racetrack by competitors Fly and AutoArt.
Body:
The white and yellow version is being tested. The body weighs just 25 grams, and the two-tone paintwork is clean and flawless. The proportions of the slender Alfa body seem well-matched; the rear end, viewed from the side, is very reminiscent of the BMW 3.0 CSL. The wide wheel arches are integrated into the body at the rear; at the front, they form a separate, U-shaped component, along with the front spoiler. This suggests that further variants of this car with a different front end are planned. Unfortunately, the gap between the two components is clearly visible; comparable designs have been seen on other vehicle types in much finer detail. The bright green color of the driver's helmet is also not a good choice for my taste; I would have preferred a more subtle color. The look of the rims is well-executed; both the color scheme and the spatial depth are convincing.
Technology:
The car weighs just 87 grams, making it one of the lightest Carrera cars in the 1:32 scale – excluding the Formula cars. The chassis, however, retains all the familiar design features; due to the short front overhang, the front wheels are once again independent. Surprisingly, the lighting uses traditional LEDs. The little Alfa was obviously designed before the Audi R18 (or rather, the switch to SMD elements), but only entered production after it. The wheels seem too narrow; considering the racing version, I would have expected a somewhat wider format.
Driving behavior:
For the road test, I removed the rear of the two magnets, resulting in well-controlled handling with a wide cornering range. Thanks to the relatively low weight, acceleration and braking are absolutely fine. It's fun to tear through the corners in the little Alfa, and you won't starve on the straights either.
Conclusion:
I was really looking forward to this car, but I'm not entirely satisfied with its visual design. However, that doesn't detract from its excellent handling.
Best regards,
your Chris
************************************************************
Review by CoMod Lotus of the Carrera DIGITAL 132/Evolution Alfa Romeo GTA Silhouette Race 1 (Art. No. 30622/27415)
Gran Turismo Alleggerita!
A magical abbreviation for every Alfisti! These three letters have always evoked emotions in every fan of the Italian car brand, as they were the brainchild of the hottest racing cars from Turin.
Okay, let's bring the racing fanatic's heart back down to earth: Let's take a sober, Teutonic approach and translate the three letters. GTA is the abbreviation for "Gran Turismo Alleggerita" and essentially means "Grand Tour Lightweight."
Throughout the company's history, Alfa Romeo has used the abbreviation GTA to designate its lightweight versions of vehicles used in touring car racing.
From 1965 to 1975, Alfa built the GTA in the versions Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA and Alfa Romeo GTA 1300 Junior.
While GTAs are generally rare, as fewer than 1,000 were ever built, the 1:32 Carrera model is something truly special. The two models in front of me are based on the later GTA 1300 Junior (recognizable by the triangular window on the A-pillar) and represent the ultra-rare GTA-SA Gr.5 version. Information about the vehicle? There's virtually none; just 10 were ever built. The cars had a 1,570 cc Twinspark engine with two superchargers and delivered up to 250 hp at 7,500 rpm to the rear axle. With the flares like on the Carrera model, there were probably even fewer. No originals have survived, but there is a replica that is close to the original. How close is uncertain, as there are only a few contemporary photos. The vehicles were quite successful, but were also constantly being modified.
The model was one of the surprises in the 2012 lineup. Nobody expected the GTA, but the car fits in very well with the other spoiler monsters of recent years.
The paint scheme on both cars is typical of the 1970s; the yellow and white one is possibly inspired by a Jägermeister, while the red one has the classic Alfa Romeo livery. The "Scuderia Spugna" lettering on the windshield of the yellow one is... open to interpretation. It's best to ask the designer about that.
Both drive excellently thanks to the wide track, and the body is very robust, unlike the original, which was made of thin Peraluman sheets, and even forgives the occasional crash.
I hope you enjoy the two Alfas! And I'm excited to see what other variants await us.
Best regards,
lotus
Technical data:
Weight (complete vehicle with magnets): 87 grams Weight (body): 25 grams Length including spoiler: 135 mm Wheelbase: 73.5 mm Track width (front axle): 52 mm Track width (rear axle): 53 mm Other: Independent front suspension
Generally:
This vehicle was certainly one of the biggest surprises in the 2012 lineup; no one had anticipated it. For me, it's definitely the most interesting and one of the most beautiful new releases of the year, across all scales. The somewhat more understated versions without the wild wing system have already been brought to the racetrack by competitors Fly and AutoArt.
Body:
The white and yellow version is being tested. The body weighs just 25 grams, and the two-tone paintwork is clean and flawless. The proportions of the slender Alfa body seem well-matched; the rear end, viewed from the side, is very reminiscent of the BMW 3.0 CSL. The wide wheel arches are integrated into the body at the rear; at the front, they form a separate, U-shaped component, along with the front spoiler. This suggests that further variants of this car with a different front end are planned. Unfortunately, the gap between the two components is clearly visible; comparable designs have been seen on other vehicle types in much finer detail. The bright green color of the driver's helmet is also not a good choice for my taste; I would have preferred a more subtle color. The look of the rims is well-executed; both the color scheme and the spatial depth are convincing.
Technology:
The car weighs just 87 grams, making it one of the lightest Carrera cars in the 1:32 scale – excluding the Formula cars. The chassis, however, retains all the familiar design features; due to the short front overhang, the front wheels are once again independent. Surprisingly, the lighting uses traditional LEDs. The little Alfa was obviously designed before the Audi R18 (or rather, the switch to SMD elements), but only entered production after it. The wheels seem too narrow; considering the racing version, I would have expected a somewhat wider format.
Driving behavior:
For the road test, I removed the rear of the two magnets, resulting in well-controlled handling with a wide cornering range. Thanks to the relatively low weight, acceleration and braking are absolutely fine. It's fun to tear through the corners in the little Alfa, and you won't starve on the straights either.
Conclusion:
I was really looking forward to this car, but I'm not entirely satisfied with its visual design. However, that doesn't detract from its excellent handling.
Best regards,
your Chris
************************************************************
Review by CoMod Lotus of the Carrera DIGITAL 132/Evolution Alfa Romeo GTA Silhouette Race 1 (Art. No. 30622/27415)
Gran Turismo Alleggerita!
A magical abbreviation for every Alfisti! These three letters have always evoked emotions in every fan of the Italian car brand, as they were the brainchild of the hottest racing cars from Turin.
Okay, let's bring the racing fanatic's heart back down to earth: Let's take a sober, Teutonic approach and translate the three letters. GTA is the abbreviation for "Gran Turismo Alleggerita" and essentially means "Grand Tour Lightweight."
Throughout the company's history, Alfa Romeo has used the abbreviation GTA to designate its lightweight versions of vehicles used in touring car racing.
From 1965 to 1975, Alfa built the GTA in the versions Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA and Alfa Romeo GTA 1300 Junior.
While GTAs are generally rare, as fewer than 1,000 were ever built, the 1:32 Carrera model is something truly special. The two models in front of me are based on the later GTA 1300 Junior (recognizable by the triangular window on the A-pillar) and represent the ultra-rare GTA-SA Gr.5 version. Information about the vehicle? There's virtually none; just 10 were ever built. The cars had a 1,570 cc Twinspark engine with two superchargers and delivered up to 250 hp at 7,500 rpm to the rear axle. With the flares like on the Carrera model, there were probably even fewer. No originals have survived, but there is a replica that is close to the original. How close is uncertain, as there are only a few contemporary photos. The vehicles were quite successful, but were also constantly being modified.
The model was one of the surprises in the 2012 lineup. Nobody expected the GTA, but the car fits in very well with the other spoiler monsters of recent years.
The paint scheme on both cars is typical of the 1970s; the yellow and white one is possibly inspired by a Jägermeister, while the red one has the classic Alfa Romeo livery. The "Scuderia Spugna" lettering on the windshield of the yellow one is... open to interpretation. It's best to ask the designer about that.
Both drive excellently thanks to the wide track, and the body is very robust, unlike the original, which was made of thin Peraluman sheets, and even forgives the occasional crash.
I hope you enjoy the two Alfas! And I'm excited to see what other variants await us.
Best regards,
lotus
