So the new car follows the template of the old, at least in outline. The shape you know, beneath which will still be a steel spaceframe chassis similar to, but larger than the original’s to create a car with slightly more interior space better to accommodate the larger driver of today. The chassis will be complemented by modern aluminium subframes to help stiffen it up too.
The engine is a 60 degree V12, as is the Colombo unit in the SWB, but I am told the latter merely informs the former and that it is absolutely not a copy in any way, but a brand new engine developed in house at GTO Engineering. Its capacity and output remain secret for now but we do know it will have twin cam heads, which is a significant diversion from the Colombo engine in the SWB which wasn’t available with four camshafts until the debut of the 275GTB/4 in 1967.
Lyon is adamant that the car will come to market weighing less than 1000kg, which puts its mass in a similar ballpark to the SWB. For him the priorities are clear: “After the exceptional reception from interested owners and fans who would like to own a car such as ours, we’re now making it happen and publicly documenting the development process. For our team, the engine and the aesthetics are two of the most important parts of any car, especially this one, which is why we were keen to start here.”
“Jaguar is already getting extremely litigious with makers of replica C-types. Others may follow”
But who will these customers be? I think increasingly they will be people who might in another life have been queuing up for the next hypercar but have decided on something that should be far more usable, far easier to enjoy because you won’t need a race track to get near its limits and, in many eyes, is probably going to be perceived as a far cooler means of recreational transport too.
It will be interesting too to see what, if anything, Ferrari has to say about it. Unlike its SWB and Testa Rossa replicas, the Moderna is not a recreation and it won’t wear Ferrari badges. It is, I would say, an evocation but not being an IP lawyer, I don’t know if that on its own is enough to gain the attention of Ferrari’s legal department. But if in future there’s going to be a growing market in restomods and revived heritage models, you can be sure brands of all kinds are going to be paying far more attention to such matters than they have in the past. As you have probably heard, Jaguar is already getting extremely litigious with makers of replica C-types. Others may follow.
