There was already a lot to look forward to with the GTO Engineering Squalo. There was the way it looked, for starters, reimagining the 250 Ferraris for the 21st century; the promise of fastidious attention to detail from marque experts certainly helped; and there was talk of a brand-new engine, too.
GTO has now announced further details of the 4.0-litre V12 that will power the Squalo, and it'll come as no surprise to find some truly incredible stats forthcoming. There's going to be more than 460hp (remember this is a car that weighs less than a tonne), a 10,000rpm redline, and is GTO is also promising a sub-165kg weight for the V12. Though rather like a diet aim in January, we'll believe that final one when we see it.
A lot of work is going in to achieve those goals. Engine parts are being hollowed out, the starter motor weighs less and it's said that GTO's choice of clutch and flywheel is 25 per cent lighter than any other equivalent. Amazingly, Ferrari's 4.0-litre V12 from 1960 only weighs 176kg, to give some idea of how much effort will have to go into reducing weight. Of course, the flipside should be a lighter, revvier, keener quad cam V12 that powers a car looking the Squalo - it'll be worth the wait. And the work.
Despite the 10,000rpm headline, GTO is promising an engine "as at home on a grand tour as it is on track." In fact, nothing less than the "ultimate V12 road car engine" is said to be powering than the Squalo. Quite the claim, but you wouldn't bet against GTO being able to deliver it given what it's achieved with its 250 replicas.
GTO Engineering's MD and founder Mark Lyon said of the Squalo: "People often ask us what the similarities are between Squalo and any 250-series car, and it's easier to say this: there are none. There aren't any parts that are shared between the two [Squalo and any 250-series model], and one key case study for that is the engine."
All of which sounds very encouraging indeed. GTO is now growing its Squalo team as it aims to deliver one of the most thrilling cars of the 2020s - a 10,000rpm V12 should help that cause - and deliveries are set to begin in 2023. We'll keep you posted...
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