Everyone once in a while, something comes along and stops you dead in your tracks.
More often than not, it comes in the shape of a stunning Ferrari. From the iconic poster cars of the F40 and the Testarossa to the 288 GTO and the awe-inspiring 250 SWB, these beauties have the power to make you stare.
The idea of “old is beautiful” has stood as the basis of the business model of the UK-based Ferrari specialists GTO Engineering. Working out of their Twyford, England workshop, the team has a long history of fettling with specialized metals, with the 250 SWB as the most popular client car to work on.
Services range from typical maintenance to entire rebuilds and restorations, which eventually got the team thinking—what if we were to build the 250 SWB today?
A national lockdown of possibility
Surprisingly, we may have the global pandemic to thank for the brainchild of the fresh-faced 250.
A collapsing economy put expensive toys and fast cars to the bottom of the list of priorities. With the team facing a year of probable business contraction, attention instead turned to building their own car.
A project that started as a way to keep busy quickly spiraled into what we have today—a brand new celebration of the ‘60s in the fittingly named “Moderna.”
A simple recipe for maximum results
The recipe for a ‘60s hero-car is simple—add plenty of power and remove as much weight as possible.
It is a simple recipe, but one that’s particularly difficult to recreate today thanks to necessary considerations for safety regulations, crumple zones and pedestrian safety. High-tech materials in a lightweight aluminum subframe construction and carbon fiber body panels allow GTO Engineering to build the sublime shell with those gorgeous body lines of a bygone era.
The engine is guaranteed to be something of an emotional masterpiece, too. A screaming, naturally-aspirated, quad-cam V12—something that most of us will only ever be able to covet from afar—is on the spec sheet for the completed car.
Power figures are yet to be confirmed, but with a self-imposed weight limit of 1,000kg and a manual gearbox firing the V12 engine, future drivers are sure to be amazed.
Get your orders in
GTO Engineering is now taking orders for the Moderna, and with a line of prospective buyers expected out the door, time is of the essence.
Naturally, the price tag will be the limiting factor for most buyers, although it is somewhat of a bargain compared to the original cars.
You would be lucky to get change from $15 million for a genuine, high-quality Ferrari 250 SWB these days. However, you can own a brand new, “old-school” Ferrari from GTO Engineering for around the $1 million mark.