British motorsport and engineering company RML Group on Wednesday revealed the first photos of a sports car inspired by a classic Ferrari, specifically the 250 GT SWB.
Called the RML Short Wheelbase, it’s just the latest in a growing pile of modern cars with styling cribbed from icons of the past. Only last month fellow British company GTO Engineering revealed its Squalo sports car inspired by the Ferrari 250 GTO. There’s also the revival of Radford which is cooking up a sports car inspired by the Lotus Type 62.
The Short Wheelbase should stand out however as it hails from a company with some serious engineering chops. RML is the same company that in 2017 made an Aston Martin Vulcan track car legal on the street. And in 2011 it was picked by Nissan to fuse a GT-R with a Juke to form the wild Juke-R.
The Short Wheelbase is to be built from scratch, using a bespoke chassis, powerful V-12, and carbon-fiber body work. Measuring just under 168 inches in length, the Short Wheelbase will be slightly larger than the original 250 GT SWB to accommodate modern weight distribution and ergonomic requirements. According to RML, someone 6 feet, 6 inches tall should fit.
Thankfully RML’s designers have managed to maintain the classic proportions of the 250 GT SWB. All of the graphic details like the egg-crate grille, stacked taillights, and exposed fuel filler cap are also to die for.
Power will come from a 5.5-liter V-12 generating a peak 478 hp and 419 lb-ft of torque. This will be mated to a 6-speed manual with a classic gated shifter. Yes, that’s quite the extra serving of potency over a 1960s-era Ferrari, with RML promising a 0-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds and a top speed of over 185 mph.
RML Short Wheelbase
To make the car as comfortable as possible, it will feature useful modern amenities such as navigation, climate control, smartphone connectivity, and electrically adjustable seats. There will even be cupholders. Unfortunately all of these features will add to the weight, with RML quoting a dry weight of approximately 3,240 pounds—and that’s with a carbon-fiber body, remember.
No price tag has been announced but RML said it will start accepting orders late this year. It plans to build just 30 examples of the Short Wheelbase.
