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