There are a lot of folks in the world who would love to own a Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB. The problem is that only 176 examples were built. These cars do not come up for sale very often and when they do, the prices are well into the $5-8 million range.
Have you ever wondered what a modernized version of this legendary GT racer might look like? Well, UK-based RML Group has done just that. They have created the RML Short Wheelbase, a 21st-century version of the famous high performance road car.
Inspired by the 250 SWB, the RML Short Wheelbase is a bespoke, ultra-low volume car executed to the highest possible standards. The car is limited to 30 units worldwide, each one finished to the customer’s precise requirements, and priced at $1.35 million pounds plus taxes.
So what do you get for your money? You get a car with a 485 bhp Ferrari V12 engine, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox with open gated transmission, for pure driving enjoyment.
This magnificent engine is packaged in a carbon fiber body that blends classic form with contemporary function. Though it has the look of a vintage racer, it does not require a specialized mechanic to adjust the carburetors every year.
The car features ample leg and headroom even for 2m (6 ft) occupants. A hidden navigation system, air conditioning, and modern stereo with smartphone connectivity and Apple CarPlay are also standard on the RML Short Wheelbase.
I saw this gorgeous blue car on display outside the Portola Hotel during Monterey Car Week 2022. It looked absolutely stunning under the cloudy Monterey skies. It is amazing how a few small changes like flush mounted glass, deleting the split chrome bumpers, and current lighting and wheels can really modernize a car.
For the lucky few who will own one of these cars, they get to enjoy an amazing car that is a capable driver as well as a piece of art. Without having driven it, I think that this car is more comfortable, more reliable, and also more affordable than the real 250 GT it is based on. That makes it a winner to me.
The Volvo P1800 is a beautiful example of Swedish design and aesthetic. The car’s lines look as graceful and elegant today as they did when the car debuted in 1961.
This P1800 located in Arizona has been given the full restomod treatment.
The original 1.8L engine has been replaced by a small block Ford V8 engine under the hood. A set of stainless headers and an Edelbrock intake adorn the engine, which sits beneath a custom air intake. An oversize aluminum radiator and electric fan help keep this thing running cool. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a manual gearbox.
The exterior is a light gray-ish color over a vibrant red interior. A full set of Auto Meter Pro Comp gauges are beautifully integrated into the original dashboard, which sits behind the wooden steering wheel.
The seats, carpet, and door cards are upholstered in red, which contrasts nicely with the body colored transmission tunnel. There is no center console or cup holder at all.
I reckon this car is an absolute blast to drive. It has good power and great styling in a light weight, 2 door coupe body. Seriously, what more do you need in a car?
As a seasoned attendee of the SEMA Show for the past 10 years, I have seen dozens of different custom car builders put their own spin on the first-generation Chevrolet Camaro. The 67-69 F-body has been chopped up, remixed, and reinterpreted as a resto-mod, g-machine, pro touring car, and everything else. It would seem that there is nothing left to do with the F-body platform, or is there?
This 1969 Chevrolet Camaro “Strode” from Ringbrothers debuted at the Keystone booth at the 2022 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, along with three other Ringbrothers builds at the show. Like all Ringbrothers builds, the car has a one-word name, which is “Strode” for this car.
The name is a reference to the 1978 slasher movie “Halloween” which stars Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode. A butcher knife emblem with the word “Strode” on it appears throughout the car and is one of many custom touches throughout this build.
The car is much more than a simple restomod, where your local garage drops a crate engine into an old body. This car is a complete reimagination of what a Camaro could be. A staggering 6,500 man hours went into building this one-off car that retains only two parts from the original car – two pieces of side glass.
Though it looks like a Camaro, the car’s body is made of 100% carbon fiber. The Ringbrothers have done full carbon fiber cars before, such as their 2015 build of a 1965 Ford Mustang “Espionage.” The Strode Camaro is the latest high-end build from the brothers to use the extremely strong and light weight material.
Furthermore, the car’s proportions have been stretched and pulled – the body is five inches wider in the rear and three inches wider up front. The rocker panels were lowered, the center of the roof has been recessed, and the hood is longer and reshaped. The front and rear bumpers, diffusers, valences, and spoiler are also made from carbon fiber. The car is painted with BASF Glasurit Ghost White paint, except for the hood, roof, and A-pillars which are black. It’s an insane build from tip to tail, and that’s just the body of the car!
Under the hood is a Wegner Motorsports LS3 V8 engine with a Whipple supercharger that produces a healthy 1,010 horsepower. The engine is painted orange and really pops in the all-white engine bay, where all of the wires and hoses have been concealed. a Holley Dominator EFI system delivers fuel to the thirsty beast of a motor.
Power is routed through a Bowler Tremec T-56 six speed manual gearbox and into a 9-inch rear end from John’s Industries. A carbon fiber driveshaft from QA1 is another modern touch on this muscle car.
A custom Ringbrothers exhaust with Flowmaster Super 44 mufflers ensures the proper sound when the accelerator pedal is mashed. The car’s handling has been vastly improved with a hydroformed subframe from Detroit Speed Engineering. A Fast Track front suspension and independent rear suspension from Roadster Shop bring modern handling and driveability to the Camaro, while QA1 Mod series coilovers absorb the bumps.
The car rides on Ringbrothers’ signature five-spoke G-CODE wheels, which they developed with HRE Wheels. They measure 19×11 in the front and 20×12.5 in the rear and are wrapped in a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S high-performance tires.
Bringing everything to a stop is a Baer Brakes 6-piston disc brake system, with an E-Stopp emergency brake. The car has a full custom interior and dashboard by Steve Pearson at Upholstery Unlimited in Clinton, IA. The custom dashboard, center console, bucket seats, and door panels are all done in saddle tan with custom stitching. The rear seat has been deleted, reducing the car’s overall weight.
Driver comforts include Dakota Digital gauges, a Vintage Air Gen IV HVAC system, and a Kenwood stereo with JL Audio sound system.
The car is full of custom touches including many billet machined and 3D printed parts. A careful eye will observe the knife-shaped recess in the front fenders, the trick custom taillights, the trunk-mounted fuel door, custom center-exit exhaust, and many other changes from the original Camaro.
While I thought I had seen it all when it comes to early Camaros, the Ringbrothers from Wisconsin have shown that there is still plenty of imagination left in the world with their customized 1969 Chevrolet Camaro.
One of my favorite custom car shops is the Wisconsin-based duo of Mike and Jim Ring, and their shop Ringbrothers.
The brothers made their debut at the 2005 SEMA Show, and in 2006 captured the Mothers’ Polish award for their customized 1967 Mustang nicknamed “Reactor.” In 2014 they won a Chevrolet Best of Show award for their 1966 Chevelle “Recoil.”
The shop builds one to two cars per year, which are highly customized with one-off parts. What sets them apart from other builders is their attention to detail, and their impressive ability to manufacture custom parts using everything from carbon fiber to 3D printing to CNC machining.
Since 2005, their custom car shop has expanded as a parts supplier of high quality hood hinges, door handles, hinges, and other hardware.After sitting out the 2020 and 2021 SEMA shows, the Ringbrothers returned to SEMA 2022 in a big way, with four full custom builds on display throughout the show.
One project that caught my eye was the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 “Patriarc” which was on display at the Centerforce booth. The car starts with the 580-horsepower 5.2L V8 “Aluminator” crate engine from Ford Performance, coupled to a Bowler Tremec T-56 Magnum six-speed manual gearbox and a Strange Engineering 9-inch rear end.
The car rides on a set of Ringbrothers signature G-Code wheels that were developed with HRE for the G-Code Camaro in 2016. The wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. Handling is vastly improved thanks to an independent front and rear suspension using Roadster Shop Fast Track components with Penske Racing RS Edition coilovers. A Baer disc brake system with six-pison calipers and massive 14-inch rotors provides serious braking force.
Build time on the Patriarc Mustang is over 5,000 man hours. The body was widened two inches in every direction, and the rear quarter panels have been lowered. This required fabricating a new floor pan and transmission tunnel from sheet metal. While they were in there, they added a roll cage, too.The list of carbon fiber parts includes the air scoops, hood, and rear diffuser.
It is impressive that after building more than a dozen different one-off Mustangs, the Ringbrothers continue to push the boundaries of the resto-mod world with their creations. The Patriarc Mustang Mach 1 is a remarkable car from every angle.
The Chevrolet Corvair was produced by General Motors from 1960-1969. Though it featured many innovations that were ahead of its time, the car was done in by a wave of accusations that it was unsafe to drive.
In the many decades since, General Motors has gone on to re-introduce discontinued names such as the Camaro and the Malibu, but they have not taken another look at the Corvair. Well, someone else decided to do it for them!
At the 2022 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, I happened upon this “2020 Corvair Custom” by NewRide, a French-based company. The car pairs a 1966 Corvair coupe body with a 2018 Camaro SS chassis. Finished in Audi non-metallic gray, the car has a very unique look.
The car borrows its headlights from a Dodge Demon, taillights from the Ferrari 812 Superfast, and side mirrors come from a 2020 VW Polo. Pretty much everything else is custom, from the bumpers to the rear glass to the headlight and taillight surrounds. The car was completed by Romain Roulleau of the Burgundy region of France. He estimates that more than 5,600 man hours of labor went into creating this one-of-a-kind custom car.
Under the hood is GM’s standard 6.2L V8 LT1 engine producing 455 horsepower. It rumbles via a custom stainless steel exhaust. A set of Vossen Evo-1R wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, concealing the EBC Disc Brakes. The whole car rides comfortably on AirLift Performance bags and can be slammed to the ground at the touch of a button.
For more on this build including an album of build pictures, please visit https://www.newride.fr/ or follow @corvair2020newride on Instagram.
Iso was an Italian automobile manufacturer that dates back to 1939. They began as an appliance manufacturer, and in 1948 began building motorcycles. In 1953 the company unveiled its first car: the Isetta, famously known as the “bubble car.” They licensed the design to several manufacturers including BMW, who went on to mass produce the car to worldwide fame.
In the early 1960s, Iso entered the sports car market with their first model, the Rivolta. They would later produce the Grifo, Fidia, and Lele models. All of these were low volume production cars, with just a few hundred examples built of each model.
Approximate Production Numbers:
Iso Rivolta: 797 units
Iso Grifo: 413 units
Iso Fidia: 192 units
Iso Lele: 285 units
Iso automobiles combined beautiful Italian design with powerful American engines from Chevrolet and Ford. They were expensive and luxurious models for the rich and famous. The Fidia S4 sedan briefly held the title of World’s Fastest Sedan in the late 1960s. Unfortunately, the market for gas guzzling luxury automobiles evaporated after the 1973 oil crisis, and the company ceased operations permanently in 1974.
I have something of a soft spot for these niche Italian cars, which are much less known than brands like Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Fiat. Regular readers of this site may have even seen my previous posts about the Iso Lele and Iso Fidia S4 in the past. You can imagine my surprise when I walked into the Griot’s Garage booth at the 2019 SEMA Show and saw this gorgeous Iso Rivolta IR 300 coupe. It was a rare sight at an event that is dominated by American muscle cars like the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang.
This particular car belongs to Richard Griot, who founded Griot’s Garage in his home garage in 1988. Griot’s Garage has grown to become a powerhouse brand that offers wash, polish, wax, and other automotive detailing products. This 1967 Iso Rivolta has received a full restoration by J&L Fabricating of Puyallup, WA.
Back in 1967, the Rivolta coupe was offered with two engine choices: a Chevrolet small block V8 making either 300 or 340 horsepower. This car has been upgraded with a GM Connect and Cruise LS7 7.0L V8 engine, which produces 505 horsepower. It is coupled to a Tremec T-56 Magnum 6-speed manual gearbox.
The car has been given a full resto-mod treatment, which means that it does more than just go fast in a straight line. It can also handle corners like a modern car, thanks to an Art Morrison suspension and rear subframe with Camaro rear end. Brakes have also been upgraded to Wilwood 13-inch disc brakes.
The car rides on a set of EVOD Industries 17-inch custom wheels wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero tires, which measure 235/50-17 up front and 285/40-17 in the rear. Other upgrades include a Borla custom exhaust, a gorgeous interior, and a PPG Black paint job done by Jon Beyers Customs.
While it may have looked unfamiliar to the Chevy and Ford guys, this car is essentially an American muscle car in an Italian suit. I really enjoyed seeing this car at the SEMA Show and applaud the owner for building something different than yet another Camaro or Corvette.
1967 Iso Rivolta IR 300 Coupe Specs:
Builder: J&L Fabricating, Puyallup, WA
Owner: Richard Griot
Paint: Jon Beyers Customs – PPG Black
Body and Assembly: J&L Fabricating
Engine and Transmission: GM Connect & Cruise LS7 V8 Engine, Tremec T56 Magnum 6-speed Manual
Suspension: Art Morrison suspension and rear subframe with Camaro rear end
Brakes: Wilwood 13-inch disc brakes
Wheels: EVOD Industries 17-inch custom wheels
Tires: Pirelli P-Zero tires, 235/50-17 front, 285/40-17 rear
Exhaust: Borla exhaust
There are a lot of folks in the world who would love to own a Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB. The problem is that only 176 examples were built. These cars do not come up for sale very often and when they do, the prices are well into the $5-8 million range.
Inspired by the 250 SWB, the RML Short Wheelbase is a bespoke, ultra-low volume car executed to the highest possible standards. The car is limited to 30 units worldwide, each one finished to the customer’s precise requirements, and priced at $1.35 million pounds plus taxes.
This magnificent engine is packaged in a carbon fiber body that blends classic form with contemporary function. Though it has the look of a vintage racer, it does not require a specialized mechanic to adjust the carburetors every year.
I saw this gorgeous blue car on display outside the Portola Hotel during Monterey Car Week 2022. It looked absolutely stunning under the cloudy Monterey skies. It is amazing how a few small changes like flush mounted glass, deleting the split chrome bumpers, and current lighting and wheels can really modernize a car.
