Resto-mods are one of the great solutions of modern motoring — if you can afford them. There's nothing cooler or more eye-catching than a well-maintained vintage car. But many of them can be crummy to drive by modern standards. And that's before you get to the reliability concerns and maintenance. Resto-mods can fuse that classic style with modern components and performance.
The German company Emilia Auto came out with what may be the best ideas for a resto-mod we've seen, the Emilia GT Veloce. The exterior is based on the Alfa Romeo GT coupes from the late 1960s and early 1970s, perhaps the most beautiful car from the Alfa Romeo (or any) lineage.
Under the hood, Emilia Auto merges the GT coupe with not just any modern Alfa Romeo engine but the engine from the high-performance legend Giulia Quadrifoglio. It's a Ferrari-derived, twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6, which will put out 510 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque in the Emilia GT Veloce. That gets paired with the 8-speed ZF transmission from the Giulia Quadrifoglio — the preferred option over the manual available in Europe — as well.
The body sticks with the classic look but receives substantial modification for performance. The Emilia GT Veloce features carbon fiber doors, hoods, fenders and front and rear aprons. It has a light and rigid space frame and an integrated roll bar. The shape is designed for modern aerodynamics and airflow. Emilia Auto adds Brembo brakes for some modern stopping power. It has more than 500 horsepower and weighs less than 2,800 pounds.
On the inside, the Emilia GT Veloce features Recaro front seats, with the rear seats deleted for further weight savings and replaced by a leather-lined luggage rack. It comes with a modern infotainment system with an 8.8-inch touchscreen and air conditioning (not controlled by that touchscreen). The upholstery, dashboard, steering wheel and shift knob materials are customizable.
If this sounds to you like the sort of project that would be jaw-droppingly expensive, it is. The Emilia GT Veloce will begin at €400,000, which converts to about $428,000. There will be a limited run of 22 vehicles. Emilia Auto plans to start production by the end of 2022. Pre-orders are still available for delivery slots in the second half of 2023.
