🏁 Track-Tested: Round 2 at Hockenheim Ring with Our GTC 380 Big Brake Kit
It been a month!! But We recently made our way back to the legendary Hockenheimring for a second round of on-track testing with our GTC 380mm Big Brake Kit—and this time, we came prepared.
Our previous outing revealed the limits of street-grade brake pads under extreme heat and heavy braking. Despite the robust design of our two-piece rotors and multi-piston calipers, the OEM-style pads simply couldn’t keep up. They overheated, glazed over, and ultimately compromised performance—cutting short an otherwise great session.
But not this time.
For round two, we upgraded to Hawk Performance DTC-60 race pads, and the difference was night and day. From the very first lap, the brakes felt sharper, more consistent, and far more predictable. We were able to confidently dive deep into braking zones, lap after lap, without worrying about fade or loss of pedal feel. The pads bit hard, handled the heat, and inspired nothing but trust.
Not only did this upgrade let us push harder, it made the entire track day more enjoyable. It proved exactly why we always say: the brake system is only as good as the pad compound you pair it with.
Whether you're planning your first track day or chasing tenths in the corners, our GTC 380 Big Brake Kit, combined with a proper racing pad like the DTC-60, delivers serious stopping power you can rely on.
Stay fast, brake late.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE BLOG UPDATES
Track Tested: My Alfa Romeo Giulia Hits Hockenheim
Finally after much anticipation we took our modified Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.0 out to the legendary Hockenheimring—and what an experience. The car performed brilliantly, but as always, the track has a way of exposing the weak links.
The latest upgrade before this trip was a serious big brake kit: 380mm rotors front and rear, clamped down by 6-piston calipers in the front and 4-pistons in the back. The hardware itself? Rock solid. Stopping power was immediate, pedal feel was excellent, and the Giulia was more confident under braking than ever before.
But—there’s always a “but”—I was still running street compound pads. After a few hot laps, they went well past their thermal limit. I could feel them melting into the rotors, forming hot spots that later cooled into warped-like surfaces. End result? Nasty vibrations under braking for the rest of the day.
Lesson learned: the brake kit is ready, but the pads need to match the mission. Before the next track day (I’ve got one or two planned this year), I’ll be upgrading to proper racing pads. I’m looking at Paragon, Hawk Performance, or Carbotech—something built to take the heat and keep stopping consistently. The good thing about this kit is the availibilty of brake pads. We can choose from any mainstream manufacturer that makes a pad for Brembo brakes…which is almost all of them!
Stay tuned—more track testing and mods to come!
Check out our full review on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vGFAZuFi1Ts?si=hxxLqXcDnAOQkyy7
Enter the GTAM…2.0!
We finally did it! The new bumper is here!!!
First off, fitment is absolutely top-tier. Among all the options out there for these aggressive-style bumpers, this one nails it. No weird gaps, no awkward alignment — it hugs the lines of the Giulia like it came straight from the factory….with a big BUT. While fitment is damn good - it aint perfect. And thats just the truth, but its the best fitment of its kind that we’ve seen to date.
Yes, its made in China. Yes, many factories use the “same mold”, however, craftsmanship / procedure / experience all count for something! And we wouldn’t be endorsing this product without our seal of approval.
Here’s the kicker, installer is EVERYTHING. If you want to do this in your garage to save money, you’re going to get garage results. Take it to a professional, spend the extra bucks and get it done right, you’ll thank yourself.
Performance? Check.
The new bumper is noticeably lighter, and at higher speeds, you can actually feel the improved aerodynamics. The car feels more planted, sharper, and even more eager to cut through the air.
Looks? Next level.
This upgrade takes the Giulia's already stunning presence and cranks it up to Ferrari-level exotic. Everywhere I go, heads are snapping, people are asking questions, and smartphones are coming out for photos. It's that striking.
Bonus points: The OEM hood fitment is perfect, and the parking sensors and radar systems continue to work flawlessly — no compromises here!
As always, we’ll have a video coming out soon detailing the specifics about the fitment and look so stay tuned on YouTube
If you’ve ever considered this modification, I can confidently say: do it. It completely transforms the vibe and performance of the Giulia into something truly special.
Weekend Thrash in Wine Country: Brakes Dialed In
Last weekend, we hit the backroads with the local Stuttgart Porsche Chapter, carving through the scenic wine country near Löwenstein, Germany. The route delivered everything we hoped for—tight switchbacks, flowing curves, and serious elevation changes. Southern Germany never disappoints when it comes to spirited driving.
As expected, the brakes were flawless. No fade. None. Normally, after 5–10 minutes of aggressive driving, I’ll feel the pedal start to get a little soft. Not this time. The brake feel stayed solid from start to finish. Credit goes not just to the upgraded calipers and rotors, but especially to the stainless steel lines and Castrol SRF React brake fluid. That combo—paired with Ferodo HP1000 pads and our J-hook pattern rotors—delivered instant bite every time I got on the pedal.
And I mean instant.
The confidence that came from that level of braking performance let me push harder through the mountain sweepers and hairpins. Ironically, better brakes actually make you faster. When you trust your car to stop on a dime, you can brake later, carry more speed through corners, and link turns together more smoothly. The larger rotors didn’t just help with stopping—they added a bit of rotational inertia that made transitions between gears feel smoother and more natural.
So, with a successful shakedown complete, we’re giving the green light for our brake kit pre-sale!
What’s Next?
We’re heading to Hockenheimring on May 17th, 2025, to put these brakes through their paces on a proper track. We’ll see what they’re really capable of under high temps and heavier loads. Might even throw on a set of dedicated track pads just for fun—we’ll see.
GTAM meets 2.0T
Big Reveal: Our GTAM Bumper Has Arrived!
We tried to keep this under wraps… but let’s be honest, that never lasts long when you're this excited. A few days ago, our brand-new GTAM-style bumper finally arrived—and it’s everything we hoped for and more!
It showed up packed like a treasure, crated in a rock-solid wooden box (which will be perfect for safely storing our OEM bumper). Inside, it was double—and triple—wrapped in bubble wrap to ensure a flawless delivery. And let us tell you—it looks even better in person than in the photos. We’re beyond stoked to get it installed.
Crafted from fiberglass with genuine carbon fiber inserts, it’s impressively lightweight and surprisingly flexible. Fit and finish look great, and the design clearly prioritizes performance—expect significantly more airflow to the engine bay, which is a huge win for turbocharged setups. More cooling = better performance, plain and simple.
Now, a heads-up for anyone with front parking sensors: you’ll need to figure out a relocation solution. One of our customers with the same bumper came up with a clever fix—mounting the sensors in the center of the bumper’s ‘V’—and that might just work for us too. We’ll experiment and report back, because let’s be honest, parking sensors are pretty essential (especially when your car looks this good).
We’re definitely not the first to take this path—shoutout to the trailblazers at Modded Motors for kicking off the GTAM facelift trend. Others have followed suit with incredible results, and now it's our turn. Expectations are high, and we’re ready to bring this build to the next level.
Stay tuned!
ENTER THE GT-C!
Elevating Performance: The GT Competizione 380 Big Brake Kit for Alfa Romeo Giulia
Motorsports is our passion. Since day one, we’ve put our Alfa Romeo Giulia through its paces on the autocross course and track. The addition of KW V3 coilovers in 2022 was a game-changing upgrade, dramatically enhancing the car’s handling dynamics. Naturally, the next logical step was upgrading the braking system—because nothing defines true performance quite like a set of high-performance brakes behind a great set of wheels.
After extensive experience developing big brake kits for various platforms, we applied that same expertise to the Giulia. Our goal was clear: create a braking system that delivers everything the OEM setup offers—without the brake fade and performance drop-off under extreme conditions.
Introducing the GT Competizione 380 Big Brake Kit
If you've ever pushed a Giulia or Giulia QV hard—whether stock or tuned—you’ve likely experienced the disappointing lifespan of the factory brakes. After just a few aggressive corners, the stock setup fades rapidly, resulting in a mushy, unpredictable, and potentially unsafe braking experience.
Our GT Competizione 380 Big Brake Kit isn’t just a repurposed QV caliper set—it’s a fully bespoke, ground-up braking solution engineered specifically for the 2.0L Giulia and Stelvio. No more scavenging for overpriced, mismatched components. This is a complete, high-performance, plug-and-play solution.
Engineered for Performance
This isn’t some off-the-shelf discount brake kit from eBay. We've partnered with a trusted supplier that manufactures braking systems for some of the world’s most renowned OEMs. Every component undergoes rigorous heat and pressure testing, as well as precision machine balancing, before leaving the factory. The calipers are crafted using the exact same molds specified by Brembo for their high-performance customer brake systems. In short—this is the real deal.
Key Features:
380mm fully floating rotors (front and rear)
6-piston calipers up front, 4-piston calipers in the rear
Independent parking brake system—just like Ferrari and Maserati setups
Hub adapters, stainless steel brake lines, forged hardware, and performance brake pads included
Complete bolt-on installation
The sheer size of these rotors compared to stock is astounding. It’s surprising that Alfa Romeo equipped the Giulia and Giulia QV with such modest braking systems. For context, the latest BMW M2 offers a 400mm/390mm brake package—despite being lighter and producing less power than the Giulia QV. Meanwhile, the QV comes with 360mm/350mm brakes. If you ask us, 380mm should have been standard on the QV, and 360mm/350mm should have been the baseline for the 2.0 Giulia!
Flawless Installation, Unmatched Performance
As expected, installation was seamless. We've worked with this supplier before, and their products consistently deliver outstanding results. Stay tuned for our next blog post, where we dive deeper into real-world testing and performance impressions of the GTC 380 kit!
Our quest for the perfect exhaust!
When we launched the TROFEO ULTIMO exhaust system, it was our most daring undertaking to date. We knew that we were tired of overpaying for underperforming parts, simply because they were for a luxury sports car. Unfortunately, the foreign car tax when it comes to aftermarket parts is a real thing. Shelling out over $2000.00 in some cases for a regular cat-back exhaust that is in no way any different than one you’d find for a Toyota Camry TRD is insane. It was time for a solution.
We knew we wanted to offer a few things to customers: Affordability, customizability, and performance gains! With the TROFEO, we maximized all three. Its the first and ONLY 3” blue-tooth valve controlled exhaust offered for the Giulia / Stelvio at a price that makes sense! Pair it with one of our blanketed 3” exit downpipes and you have a system that will deliver unhindered flow and spool to your OEM or upgraded turbo! On top of the functionality - the note is very aggressive when fully opened, and OEM when closed.
The material is quality as well, all TIG welded SUPER hard chrome plated Stainless steel that looks and feels like it can take a serious beating and will no doubt last the lifetime of the car. We wanted to offer a product that you would only have to buy one time -and this was it. Last but not least, the adjustable exhaust tip elbows allow for almost infinite customization for those with an OEM or aftermarket diffuser.
After installation it quickly become one of our favorite modifications to the car; and we still aren’t tired of being able to sneak around town sounding OEM, and then at the press of a button go LOUD! Its a crowd favorite!
The build - SO FAR!
Evolution of Our Alfa Romeo Giulia Q4
We won’t bore you with the full backstory—if you follow us on YouTube, you’ve watched this build evolve firsthand! But for those new to the journey, here’s the short version: our 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia Q4 was purchased in early 2021 with just one previous owner. Since then, it has undergone several transformations, each step refining its performance and aesthetics.
Current Setup
Today, our Giulia is equipped with:
Performance Upgrades:
Cat-less downpipe
TROFEO ULTIMO 3” exhaust with GT-style quad tips
Squadra ECU & TCU tune
KW V3 coilovers with 17mm spacers on all four corners
Megan Racing rear adjustable camber and toe arms
Madness Go-Pedal for improved throttle response
GT Competizione 380mm front & rear Big Brake Kit (our latest and greatest upgrade!)
Wheels & Exterior Enhancements:
19x9 +30 Stelvio wheels in Piano Black finish
Carbon Spec side skirts
Rear diffuser (brand TBD)
Various carbon fiber accents collected over time
Refinement & Future Plans
We’re currently in the process of replacing all carbon body components with high-quality alternatives that meet our strict standards—because we only sell what we trust on our own vehicle.
Looking ahead, we plan to add:
✅ GTAm-inspired front bumper
✅ Carbon intake
✅ Upgraded bypass valve
✅ Carbon Spec rear spoiler
✅ New tires for summer track days!
Stay tuned as this build continues to evolve!
Club Alfa’s CLUB SPEC Giulia 2.0T build
It all begins with an idea.
Welcome to Club Alfa – A Community Built on Passion
First and foremost, thank you. Thank you for reading this blog, for believing in the Club Alfa vision, and for being part of this incredible journey. This isn’t just a business for us—it’s a lifestyle. What started as an idea nearly four years ago has evolved into a thriving community built around passion, performance, and the undeniable allure of Alfa Romeo.
Our Mission
The purpose of this blog is to share Club Alfa’s thoughts, ideas, and expertise on the 2.0T Giulia and Stelvio, as well as the vibrant enthusiast community surrounding them. It’s also about celebrating the rich heritage and unmistakable Italian design that make Alfa Romeo ownership so special.
Many believe that only the highest-performance, top-tier models truly embody the spirit of Alfa Romeo—but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Thanks to Alfa’s "top-down" design philosophy, even the base trims inherit the flagship models’ DNA—from Ferrari-inspired handling to hand-sculpted Italian leather interiors and the world-renowned Alfa Romeo driving experience.
Pushing the Limits
This blog is a celebration of our shared enthusiasm and a deep dive into just how far we can take the Giulia 2.0T Veloce. Join us as we explore performance upgrades, styling enhancements, and the limitless potential of these incredible machines.
Welcome to Club Alfa. Let’s push the boundaries—together.