British specialty-car builder GTO Engineering has a thing for the Ferrari 250 GTO. The firm is not alone in its infatuation — the GTO is so revered that it is considered to be the most valuable car of all time. But the British firm is reinterpreting that legend as a modern supercar, and now that supercar has a name: “Squalo.” The name is Italian for “shark.”
Previously, the project had been dubbed “Moderna”, a sort-of mashup of “Modena” and “modern.” But, in the wake of that worldwide pandemic people have been talking so much about, Moderna is now pretty much inexorably known as a vaccine for coronavirus.
Unlike the firm’s Ferrari 250 SWB resto-mod, the Squalo is not built from an existing car and is therefore not a Ferrari. As the pictures show, however, the Squalo is clearly inspired by the GTO, and although its appearance has been massaged compared to the original, this is still one gorgeous neo-classic.
Power is supplied by a naturally aspirated quad-cam 4.0-liter V12. In keeping with the old-school vibe, it’s paired with a manual gearbox and drives the rear wheels. The target weight for the vehicle is less than 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds).
GTO Engineering is headquartered in Twyford, U.K., and that’s where the Squalo will be assembled. Pricing has not been announced, but reservations are being accepted. Deliveries to customers are slated to begin in 2023.
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