TESTED 15.3.22, BEDFORDSHIRE ON SALE LATE 2022
Some cars are so esoteric that it’s hard to know where to start, so I’ll just spit it out. The RML Short Wheelbase (SWB) is a V12- engined Berlinetta heavily redolent of the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB and built on the bones of a Ferrari 550 Maranello, mostly using composites.
So it’s not really a restomod, like the Alfaholics GTA-R, because no 250-series Ferrari is involved. But neither is the carbon fibre bauble before you an entirely clean-sheet affair, like the Porsche 964-flavoured Ruf SCR. RML’s work instead blends 1990s hardware (the driveline and suspension layout) with cutting-edge manufacturing techniques (the Wellingborough-based company’s raison d’être) to capture, in the words of CEO Michael Mallock, the “look, sound and tactility of an epic GT car from the golden age of motoring”.
You might never have heard of RML, but I’ll wager that you know the name of its founder (Michael’s father, former racing driver Ray) and some of its back catalogue, although much of that can’t be publicised.
RML once re-engineered an Aston Martin Vulcan in order to make it road-legal, which is a bit like readying a Tornado for commercial duties out of Stansted, but it did it.
It also developed the fully bespoke engine for the far-fetched Deltawing that Nissan took to Le Mans and has a history of running works teams in top sports car and touring car series going back to the days of Group C.
This story is from the March 23, 2022 edition of Autocar UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 23, 2022 edition of Autocar UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Poster car that went from rusty to trusty
One evening, two years ago, George Pappas was being driven down his local high street by a mate and mulling over whether to replace his Mk4 Golf diesel, a recent purchase that was boring him to death, when his girlfriend, also in the car, spotted an old BMW 3 Series at the side of the road with a 'for sale' sign in the window.
THE SEVEN-SEATER THAT VOLVO DARE NOT KILL OFF
The current-gen XC90 has been on sale since 2015 for good reason
GENESIS ELECTRIFIED G80
Where the story begins, in the Hyundai premium marque’s luxury saloon
LEXUSLBX
Can you shrink premium quality to fit an SUV this small? We now know
Rolls boss ready to 'define the next chapter'
Nine months into the job, Rolls-Royce CEO and car guy Chris Brownridge tells STEVE CROPLEY what he's learned and where the firm's heading
Once more, with feeling
AC Cars' recreation of the classic MkII Cobra is at first glance a faithful facsimile of a 1960s performance benchmark. SIMON HUCKNALL drives it
MERCEDES-BENZ CLE
Does a PHEV set-up work in a coupé that exudes such old-school vibes?
ANALOGUE SUPERSPORT
Lotus Elise specialist uprates 1990s icon with an eye on track days
ALPINE A290
The hot hatch is alive and well, and living in France. On both road and track, there's much to savour`
UK HANGS ON TO OLD CARS
Average car age climbs as high prices dampen demand for new models