The British RML Group, which deals with car modifications at the highest level, comes with the RML Short Wheelbase. Enthusiasts only need one look to see where they got their inspiration: at the Ferrari 250 GT SWB.
The RML Short Wheelbase is emphatically not a ‘restomod’ of a real SWB, because that would be as sinful as it would be priceless. Instead, this is a new car, but one of which RML happily acknowledges that the legendary Ferrari was the source of inspiration.
The 250 GT SWB, not to be confused with the even more priceless 250 GTO, is seen by many as the most beautiful Ferrari ever. RML wanted to give that beauty a (er) modern guise and equips the car with a more recent Ferrari V12. It is not literally said which car it comes from, but the displacement of 5,474 cc suggests that it is the engine from the 550 Maranello and 456 from the 1990s. In this case, the block delivers 485 hp and 568 Nm, of course delivered to the rear wheels via a manual six-speed gearbox. The sprint from 0 to 100 must be completed in a neat, but (fortunately) not alien 4.1 count and the top is just under 300 km / h.
Comfort
With those numbers, RML says it remains true to the philosophy behind the original, which was never intended to win drag races. It was and is about the driving experience, the British report. Comfort and ease of use are also important themes.
Where the ‘RML SWB’ also stays true to the original is with its appearance. The body is broadly the same as that of the intended Ferrari, albeit with some individual, often more modern details. The wheels are larger, the tires flatter and the lighting units more modern. Also typical: bumpers are missing, to give the car a ‘racy’ appearance. What is of course also missing are the Ferrari horses, because their use would certainly not be appreciated in Maranello.
Juke R.
RML wants to start selling the Short Wheelbase this year and hopes to eventually build thirty copies. This is the first car under the RML brand name, but it is certainly no stranger to the automotive world. The company developed racing versions, racing models and exclusive experiments for numerous car manufacturers. For example, the company was also responsible for the Nissan Juke R, a rather insane Juke with the powertrain of the Nissan GT-R.