RML SHORT WHEELBASE

 Renowned British engineering firm uses Ferrari 550 as basis for reborn 250 SWB

-  JAMES DISDALE

Restomods are pretty big business these days. Numerous firms are turning their hand to spicing up a classic recipe with some modern ingredients, many using the evergreen Porsche 911 as their canvas. Yet there are some that take this process even further, such as RML with its Short Wheelbase.

More a homage than an update of an old-timer, this eye-catcher is basically a bespoke creation that happens to bear a resemblance to something from the 1960s-specifically the Ferrari 250 SWB, not that the Italian company will endorse such a thing.

We've already driven a prototype, but now we've got the chance to try a near showroom-ready version of the £1.62 million creation. Yes, you read that right. That's clearly a lot of cash, but RML goes some way to justifying it with those gloriously curvaceous looks, formed in carbonfibre and covered in lustrously thick paint.

In terms of finish, the Short Wheelbase (let's call it the SWB for, ahem, short) looks the part, even if the imitation spoked wheels won't be to all tastes.

Inside, it has moved on from the prototype we drove. There's a full set of analogue dials now and the infotainment system is in place, gliding up and out of its hiding spot ahead of the open-gate gearlever. It's set a little low for ease of use, but frankly your latest Spotify playlist will be the last thing you will want to listen to once you're on the move.