The Squalo Is A Modern Take On The Ferrari 250 GTO

Apr. 24, 2021 6:00 AM ET byMartin Bigg Supercars /16 Comments

It blends sixties sports car styling with modern engineering.

Many enthusiasts consider the Ferrari 250 GTO one of the prettiest cars ever made, but obtaining an original oneisn't easy or cheap. If you're looking for a retro-inspired alternative to the812 Superfast, GTO Engineering has been working onProject Moderna, which is amodern take on the 250 GTO六十年代,混合跑车tyling with modern engineering. As the first production-ready car gets closer to production, the UK firm has confirmed the supercar will be called the Squalo. Italian for "shark," the name was chosen as it reflects the car's "shark-like look, instincts and speed."

New renders also provide a first look at the final production design with updated door handles, wing mirrors, and a bespoke 18-inch alloy wheel design. The tires are being developed by a "leading manufacturer."

Powering the Squalo will be a quad-cam V12 built in-house in the UK. Since the Squalo was last previewed back in February, the surround of the V12 unit's carbs have been removed to save weight and show the open trumpets when the hood is open. More powertrain details will be revealed next month. According to GTO, the Squalo will weigh less than 2,204 pounds, so it should drive as good as it looks.

"There's been an outpouring of admiration for what we're doing here and we realize there is a little bit of skepticism whether we're actually making this: a V12-powered, sub-tonne sports car with a '60s feel but modern reliability, enjoyment and manufacturing quality," said GTO Engineering Managing Director and Founder Mark Lyon.

"We're here to hopefully set the record straight to say yes, it's happening and we're sticking to our original ethos for the car as well as timing promises for production. We are also delighted to have early adopters and customer orders received already, and we thank them for the trust in our vision and business," said Lyon.

"It's often the small parts of a car that take the longest time. We're now at a stage where the design models are being created here in the UK and soon we will announce our technical partners working with us on the exterior and interior manufacturing, as well as wheels and tires. In all my years working in the [automotive] industry, I've never been as excited about the creativity of manufacturing and design as I am now."

GTO Engineering aims to start delivering the Squalo to customers in 2023.