The original Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta is one of those classic cars even people who aren’t into classic cars would give their right arm to thrash for 30 minutes down a great road.
It’s got the classic Pininfarina looks, the V12 soundtrack, and is backed up by engineering that netted the model a stack of racing trophies in the late 1950s and early 1960s. But those originals are fragile and so valuable you’d feel almost guilty giving one death down the road in case you broke or pranged it, even if you could afford the $8 million entry ticket.
And while GTO Engineering’s $1 million 250 SWB Revival isn’t exactly cheap, it’s probably better built than the real thing, and you could drive it hard knowing that it would only be a minor disaster. Plus, as Carfection’s Alex Goy points out, if you’re going to buy a replica of a classic Ferrari, you’d want it to come from people who built their name looking after and rebuilding the originals.
By his own admission, Goy hasn’t driven an original 250 SWB. But he’s driven enough old, restored cars to tell that the quality of the GTO SWB is far better, and it’s that sense of solidity that gives him the confidence to really enjoy the drive, rather than spend his time worrying about it breaking down or, pitching him into a field.
Related: RML And GTO Engineering Both Drop News On Their Separate Ferrari 250-Inspired Restomod Projects
Prices range from £750-800,000 ($1.03-1.1 m) depending on spec, which starts out with a 3.0-liter V12 that can be upgraded to a 3.5 or 4.0-liter version. Goy’s test car was a 3.5 with around 320 hp, which is probably plenty in a car that weighs just 2250 lbs (1020 kg), or about the same as a Mazda Miata.
Unlike RML’s SWB project, which features a carbon fiber body and Ferrari 550 mechanicals, and GTO engineering’s own 250-inspired Squalo restomod still in development, the Revival makes no attempt to update the 250 concept for the modern age.
Or almost no attempt. You can have a USB charging socket, and air conditioning, which might be useful given Goy’s mention of high cockpit temperatures. But that’s your lot. In every other sense, it looks and drives like a perfect example of a 60-year-old Ferrari 250, only better, and more crash-friendly.