The 1978 Ferrari 250 GTO Special by Project Heaven Is Restomod Perfection

Only 36 examples of the breed were made, and most of them feature the Series I bodywork that made the Gee-Tee-Oh an instant classic when it hit the track in 1962 at the 12 Hours of Sebring with Phil Hill behind the steering wheel. The car we’ll talk about today, however, isn’t an original but a one-of-one custom build described as a restomod by Jonny Smith of Fifth Gear fame.

Whatever you want to call it, this fellow is special from head to toe. Built over 15 years by Project Heaven co-owner Will Tomkins, the yellow-painted 250 GTO “was born from a hand-made alloy body shell, a modified chassis of a fire damaged Ferrari 400i, and the V12 from a 575 Maranello.”

Under the transparent hood, the free-breathing engine develops 601 brake horsepower at the crankshaft or twice the power of the Colombo V12 from days long gone. The tube frame from the 400i has been shortened and stiffened to accommodate the 250 GTO-like body, the fenders are four inches wider than the original, and the suspension comes from a 365 GT4.

Even though the transmission tunnel keeps burning Jonny’s left leg while driving, he’s understandably impressed by the “Frankenrarri” in a straight line and in the twisties. The car is capable of tire-smoking shenanigans too, and if you were wondering, the one-off project is for sale at £565k.

Those pounds sterling translate to $732,680 at current exchange rates, which is a small price to pay for such an awesome machine. On that note, care to guess what’s the top speed of this fellow? Make that 205 miles per hour or 330 km/h, four more than the gorgeous F40 that I still have a poster of.