GTO Engineering’s Ferrari 250 GTO-Inspired Squalo Shows Off Carbon Monocoque

GTO Engineering has revealed the advanced carbon fiber monocoque and V12 that will underpin the Squalo, its Ferrari 250 GTO-inspired sports car.

Both the monocoque and all of the Squalo’s body panels will be made from lightweight carbon fiber, ensuring that the car weighs less than 1,000 kg (2,200 lbs). The British company says the Squalo should have a 55/45 weight balance and will have a very low center of gravity.

Read More: GTO Engineering Previews Interior Of The Squalo, Its Ferrari 250 GTO-Inspired Sports Car

A number of other steps have been made to ensure the car is as light as possible. For example, it will feature a featherweight starter motor and be equipped with a clutch and flywheel setup that are 25 percent lighter than the market standard, Car Magazine reports.

Powering the Squalo will be a 4.0-liter naturally-aspirated V12. This engine has been built from the ground up by GTO Engineering and draws inspiration from an original 4.0-liter Ferrari V12 from 1960. This engine will sport four camshafts, rev all the way through to 10,000 rpm, and perhaps most impressive of all, weigh just 165 kg (363 lbs) or 11 kg (24 lbs) less than an original Ferrari engine. It will also pump out a cool 460 hp.

“We know most V12 Ferraris inside out and recently weighed a 1960 4.0-liter V12 engine; it was 176kg as a complete unit with the starter motor, oil and oil filler tubes too,” GTO Engineering managing director Mark Lyon said. “That’s so much lighter than a modern V12, and we know we can do even better with our knowledge as well as modern advancements and techniques. Every part and configuration on our quad-cam V12 has had a complete engineering re-focus to ensure our engine for Squalo is the very best it can be.”

GTO Engineering released the first preview sketches of the Squalo’s interior some 12 months ago. It is void of any touchscreens and will include a wood-rimmed steering wheel and analog controls for the climate control system. The Squalo will also lack airbags and have fixed-back bucket seats.