REVIEW: OttOmobile Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio | BBR Compare • DiecastSociety.com

REVIEW: OttOmobile Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio | BBR Compare

One of the coolest cars released in recent years is the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio.  This is my it car!  Beauty aside, the car is quite capable of keeping up with the Joneses.  Under the hood is a Ferrari inspired power plant; a V6 2.9L twin-turbo engine, giving it a massive 510 horsepower.

Until now there has only been one option is scale, multiple variants offered by the team at BBR.  These examples crafted in resin.  I have one of the BBR versions in my personal collection; it set me back approximately $279US.  This does include a leather base. A far cry more than the model under the microscope from OttOmobile today.  We have here their version of the 1:18 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio in Rosso Competizoine with Black wheels. At less than half that of BBR, about $125US is this model a contender or pretender?

You all know OttOmobile stands for affordable quality, and the example here is no exception.  This review will follow the tone of our typical in-house reviews, though prior to the conclusion I will highlight some of the differences between the two versions.  Many photos are available for review, enjoy!

Out of the box, the Rosso Competizoine exterior paint just bits with its deep metallic DNA.  Application is flawless throughout.  Shutlines and panel gaps are on point too.  As we know this is usually the case with sealed resin pieces.  As for the overall shape of the car, it is pretty solid.  Where it fails slightly is the lower side panels.  The definition of the original car has more depth and definition with the metal panel design and carbon fibre bits.

Use of perforated metal is found in the side cooling opening.  A nice touch here.  Also, the visible carbon fibre elements are nicely executed.  This does include the front lower chin spoiler and rear upper spoiler.

Moving to the front the Alfa Romeo triangle grille is found in centre.  OttOmobile completed the centre grille and lower portions with a perforated material.  Going one step further the OttOmobile also defined some of the backend apparatus.  A great touch!  Also, like the metal grilles found within the top section of the hood. But it is not perfect, there is some perimeter working visible to the naked eye.  More on this in the comparable comments below.

Other notable challenges.  Centre emblem seems in scale but the upper definition of the shaping from emblem to front panel is somewhat over defined – basically the shape is slightly too big.  Also, the lower otter intakes seem to differ from the original car images we studied.  Now, this might be done due to the US versus Euro-spec cars or various changes through each model year.  If anyone can help better define, please do so.

The rear is nicely executed overall in my opinion.  There has been A LOT of talk about the incorrect size of the rear taillights.  Yes, there is slight variance but nothing overly gross in error.  Lower diffuser section may also have the incorrect fin placement.  But this is inconclusive based on reference material.

Wheels are also a big part of any scale model, OttOmobile doesn’t disappoint here.  Black paint and Alfa logo in centre are crafted with care.  The wheels are mated to cross-drilled rotors and Red calipers.  We have the Alfa logo in check on calipers front and rear.  There is also a rear parking brake incorporated into the rear braking system too.

OttOmobile’s Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio interior is fitted with the automatic version.  Shifting paddles are found at 9 and 3 o’clock.  Overall the interior is quite neutral in appearance with a Grey/Black tone.  Carbon fibre elements are little and shown with the centre console and door handles.  Some more definition with colour is used in the various instruments here and in the dash.  Door cards provide some definition as well with speaker and release handle.

On the flip side, there is no flocking found on the floor on the vehicle.  Also, the model lacks seat-belts front and rear.

OttOmobile / BBR

Many have asked us here at DiecastSociety.com to comment on the two versions.  I’m not saying one is better than the other as each serves a purpose for what they offer.  And based on my comments you can see no model is perfect.

You can see the difference in paint between the OttOmobile version in comparison to the BBR.  OttOmobile has more shine and metallic flare, while the BBR leans towards a deeper metallic Red.  As for who is better, neither, its a draw.  Colour is all personal preference.  Where BBR excels over OttOmobile is the overall shape, especially on the lower panels.  Also, BBR does a quite better job at defining their panel lines.  BBR goes as far as adding Black paint to further enhance the experience.  Lastly, another nodd for BBR with the neutral window tint.  OttOmobile is 50/50 – the rear section is too dark.  This is very evident on the rear glass/panel.

On the flip side, OttOmobile does excel on the window trim.  Their representation is more defined while the BBR is flat in comparison.  The hood definition and design are better executed on the OttOmobile, though BBR wins on the overall accuracy of the openings of the two cooling vents.

The front is a split.  BBR wins with there beautifully defined centre grille.  Their execution is preferred over the OttOmoblie design where the shape isn’t as clean and transfers some of the perimeters interworking to the nakes eye.  On the flip side, OttOmobile does show the mechanical inter-working of the car behind the perforated grilles.  This definition is somewhat lacking on the BBR.  Lastly, OttOmobile’s centre emblem is more accurate in scale, I find the BBR too small.

As for the rear section, OttOmobile is more on point with the quad exhaust tips.  They offset the outer and inner tip better.  While BBR wins on the taillight execution and lower diffusor execution.  I’ll call the rear department a draw!

Rim size is the same, I measured them, though I believe BBR uses a slightly smaller profile for the tire.  This provides a slightly more aggressive look.  Overall the win here is all BBR, they use better depth and definition with caliper design and they also went with the carbon ceramic rotors, which in my opinion flow better with the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio price point.  One thing I will mention is the placement of the rear rotor on the BBR example.  It is positioned to the front of the wheel while the OttOmobile to the rear.  Not sure if this was a platform change or update.  Anyone?

Last but not least we move to the interior.  Again the win here goes to BBR. Why?  BBR triumphs in the overall detail on multiple levels.  This includes the use of carbon fibre trim in the centre console, steering wheel, door trim front and rear.  Also BBR’s definition within the dash, doors panels and seats, they provide the little stitching elements which are missing on the OttOmobile example.

It is evident that no model is perfect based on my comments above.  In conclusion, the OttOmobile Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is a very capable model and less than half the price of the BBR version.  On its own OttOmobile does well to provide a well-rounded model.  If this isn’t a priority piece for you the OttOmobile is an excellent alternative to the BBR; well executed and visually pleasing representation in scale at a terrific price.  If you’re looking for something a more refined and the price is no object than the BBR is definitely an enticing choice.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is a must-have model for me, so I’m still holding out hope for a full 360-access version in the near future.   Until then the OttOmobile piece is a welcomed addition.  Enjoy the pics!

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19 Responses to "REVIEW: OttOmobile Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio | BBR Compare"

  1. Oliver Ernst says:

    I have the Otto and it’s a nice model but the quality control is abysmal. So many problems. They should never let something so badly assembled out of the factory.

    • DS Team says:

      Sorry to hear about your challenges our sample proved very in the QC department. Did you contact their after sale customer service? Also what issues did you find?

      • Oliver says:

        The problems were with the side windows primarily, one of which was glued so poorly aligned there was a gap at the top front and the rear bottom. The rest of the side windows have substantial excess glue residue. I don’t know if this was a result of a lack of care or a lack of skill on the part of the assembler but it should never have been released. I spoiled what is otherwise quite a nice model.

  2. George says:

    I got the Otto one and I am very happy with the overall execution and quality. From the photos you present really I cannot find the reason why someone to buy the BBR. Difference in execution and quality at least from the photos seems infinitesimal.

  3. spikyone says:

    The Otto is one of the most over-rated models of the year so far. Quite simply, the shape and proportions are wrong. The real car looks taut, like a big cat prowling the plains. The Otto is more like my pet cat, who constantly eats and sleeps and is a bit podgy. The boot/trunk looks dumpy because it’s too short, the roofline and window line are wrong.
    That bloated appearance makes the wheels look undersized, even though you’ve checked them against the BBR. BBR got the proportions and shape right, and the wheels on that look fine.

    There are a ton of detail problems with the Otto too, like the angle of the split between the rear side windows and the quarterlight, and a good few panel gaps are the wrong shape. I think they got the rear brake calipers right though…

    There’s very little that would convince me to buy this – or any other – Otto or GT Spirit. They all look a bit toy-like.

    • Martin says:

      They’re not top off the line but they’re great for their price. The BBR is definitely on a higher level, but as shown it does not do everything better than the Otto. I name the colour, front grills and windows. The black surrounding is way too simple and large on thw BBR! For the price of the Otto you can’t go wrong. That it means you need to redo some things once in a while that should have been done after QC in the factory, is taken for granted.

    • DS Team says:

      Thanks for the feedback. Have you seen both side by side? In fact, the BBR is the larger of the two in terms of width. Not saying it’s incorrect just providing some detail.

      Both brands, OttOmobile and GT Spirit serve a purpose, as for resin and sealed each serves the community well.

      • spikyone says:

        The issue is the shape rather than the size. The 1:1 and the BBR look sharp and muscular, the Otto looks bloated. The proportions of the Otto – how the different areas of the car relate to each other – are off. It looks like it has a fat ass, not just because of the lights but because the whole shape of the rear is wrong.
        And look at the size and shape of the side windows. It’s almost symmetric on the 1:1 and BBR; Otto screwed it up *badly*. (B pillar appears too far forward, A pillar to roofline is an incorrect constant radius)

        I’d happily put up with the few areas where the BBR is inferior because the overall impression is a hundred times better. Details don’t matter if the overall shape is wrong, because I the very obvious inaccurate shape is the thing that takes your attention. Getting the shape right should be a given, and GTS/Otto screw it up time and again. This is nearly as wrong as their Koenigs.

        I realise that they are supposedly a budget resin brand but for €100 they’re not exactly cheap, and most cheaper Norevs simply display better. For a little more money, Spark absolutely kill them, though I realise Spark are mostly race cars and cost more in North America.

    • Atalante says:

      One thing I need to add: unlike what was said in the review the rear lights ARE indeed grossly oversized on the Otto. I mean just look at a picture of the real car the rear light are very thin, elegant, that design is sooo beautiful. Then look at the Otto again, yuck just gross, absolute fail. It is beyond me how Otto could let this thing go into production. Great comparison nonetheless!

  4. diecast cars says:

    I agree on the Otto being good for the money. Although their logo’s’, carbon front splitter side skirt and spoiler are just too big compared to the real deal. Aswell the OTTO exhaust look a lot cheaper then the BBR one. I have the BBR myself with the black rims and I think it’s better at almost all points except the price. In the red with black wheels the go for rediculous of over $500 US

  5. Ganni says:

    One more thing i need to add based on your comparison is about the mesh drille design, it seems that BBR got it right and resembles the actual car where the Otto just simply make it into a diamond shape..

  6. Roger Lodge says:

    OttoMobile’s quality control is so bad that it feels like winning the lottery when you get a problem-free model.

  7. Roberto says:

    Thanks for the review, I was curious about this one. I love this car and prefer the color on the Otto but the rear lights are a deal breaker for me. It’s an egregious mistake.

  8. M says:

    Yes the Otto is far from perfect, but I don’t love the real car enough to spend that kind of money on the BBR. Unless AA makes one, this Otto would be more than enough for me.

  9. Emanuil says:

    One thing we should admit here (despite the slightly wrong shape) is the nice detailing of the tail lights. I’m sick of not enough deep or darkened lights on models and what we see here is to be praised.

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