Ringbrothers show 30,000 hours of work at SEMA

The Specialty Equipment Marketing Association, or SEMA, will host its annual tuning show in Las Vegas from November 1-5. Regular guests at the fair are Jim and Mike Ring, who together under the name Ringbrothers have been making special creations for many years, often based on iconic American-made models. This year they are using the SEMA fair to present no fewer than four new projects to the world. They overloaded all four with handmade, unique parts from the most beautiful materials. Each is equipped with a hefty V8. The result? See for yourself;

1 – Chevrolet K5 Blazer ‘Bully’: 1,200 hp, 8,500 man hours

The first of the four is based on one of the first SUVs: the Chevrolet K5 Blazer, in this case one from 1972. Ringbrothers named it Bully. The four-wheel drive received a completely new chassis, new suspension and all kinds of parts were replaced with self-milled, 3D printed or carbon fiber ones. Broadly speaking, they do little harm to the original design of the K5 Blazer, but if you look at the detail level, everything is different. Under the hood, a rebuilt 6.8-litre V8 with a 3-litre supercharger delivers 1,200 horsepower. What would those off-road tires in the mud do if you were rude with all that power?

2 – Chevrolet Camaro ‘Strode’: 1,010 hp, 6,500 man hours

Second is the Strode: an equally elaborately rebuilt Chevy as the Blazer above. Ringbrothers spent a little less time on this, which is perhaps the reason that the coupé was not allowed to beat its SUV stable mate in terms of power: the Camaro has to make do with a ‘mean’ 1,010 hp. To be party piece is the carriage built entirely of carbon fiber, which is wider than an original. It is also allowed: big tires have to fit in its wheel arches to get all the power, which is sent to the rear wheels via a manual gearbox, on the asphalt.

3 – Ford Mustang Mach 1 ‘Patriarc’: 580 hp, 5,000 man hours

Number three: even fewer man hours, even less power. It is almost impossible, were it not for the fact that the Mustang has a different focus. This car has nothing to do with linearity and represents everything Ringbrothers believes makes for the fastest and/or most entertaining laps on the track: a naturally aspirated V8, manual transmission, rear-wheel drive, some aero and an aggressive position of the wheels. The basis is formed by a 1969 Ford Mustang Fastback, which, like the Camaro, was also expanded – only this time not made of carbon fiber.

4 – Chevrolet Pickup ‘Enyo’: 1,000 hp, 10,000 man hours

Ringbrothers’ last asset is the Enyo: in his own words, his most extreme creation ever. Virtually nothing is left of the Chevrolet Pickup from 1948 that served as the basis, because the Americans tried to turn it into a track car. That is clear: the wheel suspension would not look out of place in a Pagani or Koenigsegg. Are you through the bends, then the 1,000 horsepower leaves little of the straights. That power comes from an 8.4-liter racing V8 that does it without turbos or supercharger: quite impressive. Ringbrothers has therefore spent years designing and building the Enyo, although it took a while before they could find a suitable customer for it. Do you get that now?