GTO Engineering Squalo Revealed As Ferrari-Inspired V12 Super Coupe

It's true that automotive technology is evolving at breakneck speed. The day when electric cars dominate the highways of the world will soon be upon us, but it is not this day. GTO Engineering is pressing the pause button so we may recall and embrace the golden age of internal combustion motoring, when cool was defined as a svelte two-seater with a raspy V12 shifted manually. To that end, we present the Squalo.

UK-based GTO Engineering previewed this car in November 2020. At that time we only had basic renderings, a promise of a V12 engine, and vague details on its planned construction. We didn't even know its name, aside from a cheeky codename of Moderna to signify this as a modern interpretation of a classic Italian sports car from Modena. Now, the project has progressed to the latest renderings that depict the car in its production-ready form. That includes a 4.0-liter quad-cam V12 engine, which is also designed in-house along with the car, making the Squalo a pure product of GTO Engineering.

"It's often the small parts of a car that take the longest time," said GTO Engineering Managing Director and Founder Mark Lyon. "We're now at a stage where the design models are being created here in the UK and soon we will announce our technical partners working with us on the exterior manufacturing and interiors, as well as wheels and tires. In all my years working in the [automotive] industry, I’ve never been as excited about the creativity of manufacturing and design as I am now."

GTO Engineering aims to keep the Squalo light on its feet with a curb weight under 2,204 pounds (1,000 kilograms). It will incorporate a steel-tube chassis with prolific use of aluminum and carbon fiber. Underneath will sit a modern independent suspension setup, riding on bespoke 18-inch wheels. GTO Engineering isn't ready to talk horsepower, but with less than a metric ton of car to deal with, even a modest figure should make the Squalo quite exciting. And of course, the entire project is baked with plenty of Ferrari influence.

The company pledges to have more details available in the coming months. First customer deliveries are currently slated to start in 2023.