Forza Motorsport 7 - The oldies from the Top Gear Car Pack

Your ultimate racing game just welcomed a duo of oldie cars from the recent Top Gear Car Pack here on Forza Motorsport 7. Fresh out from the junkyard full of bangers, these legendary machines showcase us how much of a car they possess, not to mention their own tales to tell in front of the motoring enthusiasts, no matter how legendary they are. Today, I went to Italy to sample these legends.



Continuing their celebration for Porsche's 70th anniversary, here's another legend you might be interested in; the Porsche 904 Carrera GTS.



While I'm in the middle of doing some sighting laps with this car, let's talk more about this legendary, giant-slaying Porsche. Ever since Porsche withdrew from Formula 1 in 1962, their transition to sports car racing has been a challenge, given that the 718 was a bit of a prime, so they created the 904 with help from Ferdinand "Butzi" Porsche.

Built on a steel ladder chassis and fiberglass bodywork, it weighs less than a ton and for added rigidity, the chassis and the bodywork are bonded. Power comes from a Type 587 2.0L boxer-4 engine, which is an evolution of the Type 547 found in most VW and Porsche vehicles, producing almost 200HP of power and it's capable of reaching 0-100kph in less than six seconds. For suspension, the 904 opted for coil springs and uneven-length A-arms up front to make handling better on the corners.

Porsche built 106 road-going variants due to homologation regulations and sold out quickly. Since its racing inception in 1964, the 904 won the Targa Florio and class wins at Spa, Sebring, Nurburgring, Le Mans, Watkins Glen, Zandvoort, Canada, and the Paris 1000km, raking SCCA's C-Production and E-Sports racing titles. When it went rallying, the 904 won the Tulip, Munich-Vienna-Budapest, Geneva, and the Alpine Rally. The following year, the 904 had no shortage of wins in numerous racing events.



Looking back at its impressive racing career, it's perhaps no wonder that the 904 is a legendary Porsche that showcases its fighting force to be reckoned with. Hey, that's the German way, you know. Trying to show the world who's in charge of racing and Porsche doesn't give a darn thing or two about dominating different races and that same thing carried on to its successors. Showing the world how Porsche is capable of, the 904 Carrera GTS is a giant-slaying menace that deserves the fear and admiration classic car enthusiasts deserve and since I'm in Monza, I'm taking this car for a spin, just to see if the 904 lives up to its legendary reputation.





I may be showing off near the end of the drive but I think it's great to say that I am honored to get to know more about the 904 Carrera GTS my point of view judging from its impressive racing career in its heydays and because this is Porsche's 70th birthday after all, this one is definitely part of Stuttgart's greatest hits.

Speaking of which, there's another oldie car from the Top Gear Car Pack I would like to show you.



When you say Giulietta, sorry to disappoint because as producers being fanatics for all things baby boomers, they brought in the original Giulietta, in Sprint Veloce form. And while doing some sighting laps at Mugello, let me talk to you about this machine. Unveiled at the 1954 Turin Motor Show, the Giulietta was known to be Alfa Romeo's foray into the 1.3L class cars and the first variant of the Giuletta range is the 2+2 Sprint coupe, later joined by the four-door Berlina sedan and an open top version, among many others, with a coachbuilt estate variant in the mix.

The Giulietta was styled by Bertone's Franco Scaglione and built at the Grugliasco factory near Turin. It was powered by a 1.3L all-alloy engine designed by one-time Ferrari engineer Giuseppe Busso. Due to its immediate success, Alfa Romeo ramped up the Giulietta's production numbers to keep up with the overwhelming demand and they introduced the Veloce variant in 1956.

The Veloce is a lightweight variant that drops 70kg of weight from the normal Giulietta Sprint, resulting in 830kg of weight, courtesy of its aluminum materials and removal of rear seats. From 1954 to 1965, Alfa made 3,058 units of the Sprint Veloce and in today's times, it has become a collectible for Alfa Romeo enthusiasts.



As the saying goes you can't be a true petrolhead without driving an Alfa Romeo, this original Giuletta is all about taking yourself back to its golden years because in its good old days, Alfa Romeo has brought us some of the most fantastic cars that possess such value and performance that makes driving through the Amalfi very charming and stylish. Today's Alfa Romeo can be somewhat of a brash if you know what I mean but they're doing the best they can to shake off their stodgy image by offering exciting models such as today's Giulia and the 4C, among many others.

You know what? Maybe today's Alfa Romeo needs to do some inspiration from the past and this is where the original Giulietta Sprint Veloce comes into play so it's time to show them what an Alfa Romeo can do.



Now this is what I called driving without explanations and this is what an Alfa Romeo of its golden years can do.



I have to say, I have to give credit to the producers for finding such junkyard beauties to feature in the game, judging by the fact that the Forza producers are all about going backward rather than forwards in search of cars to feature. Fresh off from the junkyard, they have been faithfully recreated into the machines we are now and whether you love them or hate them, the Forza series is all about being your ultimate racing game, much like when you called DWWW 774 "your ultimate AM radio."

Memories, memories, memories. With legends like these possessing such memories, they are always here to stay for many generations to come. Enjoy these oldies while you can, drivers.

I AM GIULIETTA. I'M AT FORZA MOTORSPORT 4

Alfa Romeo Giulietta in Japan

Here's a completely true story happened to me. You see, back in the summer, I pre-ordered Forza Motorsport 4 at Gamestop's Westfield Southcenter branch because most people who pre-ordered Forza 4 at all Gamestop branches will receive a Alfa Romeo Giulietta as a pre-order bonus they can use it on the game. On the date Forza Motorsport 4 arrived, I came back to Gamestop Westfield Southcenter to pick it up. I was going to try the Giulietta but then, hours later, the receipt where the code for the Giulietta is written is gone. My chance to try out the award-winning Alfa Giulietta had been wiped out. Now, wherever I see a Giulietta on my sight, I felt completely traumatized after a loss of my receipt but until now, when the Launch Bonus DLC made to be available for the public, I felt completely relieved and I finally got the chance to try out the Alfa Romeo Giulietta on Forza Motorsport 4. Guess I owe them a thank you letter for them.

Anyway, about the Giulietta, it was revealed at the 2010 Geneva International Motor Show and it was on sale in Italy since May 2010. There was a commercial for the Giulietta starring Uma Thurman and that line, which turns out to be one of Shakespeare's quotes, really suits both the actress and the car itself. However, this here is the hardcore Quadrifoglio Verde variant of the award winning Alfa Romeo Giulietta hatchback. This variant comes with the 1750 TBi engine that produces 232HP of power and 340Nm of torque. This helps the Giulietta QV to go from naught to 60 in 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 150mph.

The Giulietta is Alfa Romeo's most emotional hatchback ever made and it garnered most awards and accolades.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta -New-

Alfa Romeo marks the return of the legendary Giulietta name (produced in the 1950's and ended in the 60's, resurrected in the '70s, but terminated again in the 80's) and this time, it is not a sedan, a coupe, or a convertible like how their grandparents remembered. The new Giulietta is now a 5-door hatchback, dedicated to terminate other competitive hatchbacks such as the Opel Astra, Volkswagen Golf, and the Renault Megane.

2011 Alfa Romeo Giulietta

Replacing the decade-old Alfa 147 was a hard thing to do for the new Giulietta, but resurrecting a "more than 5-decade-old name" was essentially a manly act to follow for Alfa Romeo. Previously known as the Milano from the spy shots, the new Giulietta is a light shining in the light for hatchback lovers from across the European continent. With the exterior posing Alfa Romeo's new design language found at the 8C super sports car, and the MiTo compact, the Giulietta was the hatchback made as a "reward of the goddess.” When a customer peeks at the new Giulietta's side, it confuses them by thinking it is a 3-door hatchback, but honestly, this is a 5-door hatchback. It is because of the secret rear doors (seen on the GM Daewoo Matiz Creative and the upcoming Nissan Juke crossover) equipped as a surprise.

2011 Alfa Romeo Giulietta

The Giulietta's interior is packed with the race-inspired cockpit that gives drivers an edge-of-the-seat fun that feels like they are racing the streets in the racecar, which in reality, they were seating on a normal production car.

2011 Alfa Romeo Giulietta interior

There are several engines to choose from to give the Giulietta some chances to brink into the roads, ranging from the entry-level 1.4 TB, 1.6L MultiJet diesel, 2.0L MultiJet diesel, 1.4 TB MultiAir, and the high-end 1750 TBi (available only at the Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde). With these engines available as of press time, you can rest assured that finding which engine suitable for the Giuletta is a tough-but-easy act to follow.

With Vehicle Dynamics Control, Dynamic Steering Torque, electronic differential, and the Alfa DNA selector added, the Giulietta is built for safety and performance enhancing purposes. Once more, it strives to obtain a 5-star rating in the Euro NCAP, meaning only the safest Italian ride is definitely the smartest.

My thoughts about the Giulietta:
Alfa Romeo, if you were back in our Philippine fleet, one of us can try your seductive power of the Giulietta. If I meant to say this phrase, maybe Filipinos like us to wish that Alfa Romeo will return to our shores with a new distributor so we can try this awesome hatchback on the streets of EDSA. Despite all this, the legendary Giuletta name makes a comeback in hatchback form, and most rivals will be unhappy to see the new Giulietta in action. Will the Giulietta become the next big thing for Alfa Romeo?