The Alfa Romeo GT is a beautiful-looking car. Yes, it’s really rather restrained for an Italian coupe, but its neat styling and solid proportions make it very pretty. To my eyes, at least.
But the suave Milanese suits in charge at Alfa in the mid-2000s clearly didn’t have as much affection for the GT as I do. They never gave it the best drivetrains. It might have had a V6, but not with the same output as the sporty the 147 and 156 GTA. And then, to make matters worse, Alfa went and built another coupe, the more exuberant and more modern Brera, and sold them alongside one another.
Every time I spot a GT, I think it’s a car that deserves better. It deserves an engine and chassis to really match its looks. Then one day, on a mundane trip while following a GT down the A426, deliberating what might have been for the Italian coupe, a Ferrari F430 swanned past in the other direction. That was it. I realised what the Alfa needs, no matter how ludicrous it might seem, is a mid-engined Ferrari drivetrain.
A bit of research later, probably while I was putting off doing some actual work, it turns out there’s only 5mm difference in wheelbase. I began wondering…
If I had a pot of unlimited money, enviable skills with a welder and vast reserves of time, that’s what I’d do. I’d pop an Alfa GT body on a mid-engined Ferrari. But why, in this fantastical situation, should I stick to an F430? Why not go for a 458? There’s only another 4mm extra in the wheelbase – as if that actually matters. I wouldn’t want just any 458, it’d have to be a Speciale and all the bits that make that car so speciale too.
And in this magical world, where I am plucking engines, chassis and drivetrains and throwing any old body at them, why just have one fantasy amalgamation?
So let’s suspend reality completely, just for a moment. Forget whether there’s space in the engine bay for your ideal engine, whether your pretty body of choice would be strong enough for your selected drivetrain, or if the driver’s seat would end up split in two by the exhaust (ouch). Forget all that and think about your perfect drivetrain as if it’s one from an RC car; just a backbone with an engine and transmission nestled in the centre and the wheels and suspension hanging from it. Forget the word monocoque even exists.
And your body? Well, that’s like an RC car’s too. Something you can plonk on top and fix in place. But unlike the flimsy moulded body of a remote control car, with bulky fixings that hold it in place, the result of your life-sized mash-up looks factory fresh. Better than factory in fact, because it sits at the exact ride height you desire and the doors actually open.
So what are you going to try out? Me, even with these free-flow rules, my body and engine combos have clear links. My imagination simply can’t break out of the ingrained automotive knowledge my brain has been absorbing for decades.
You see, in my garage would be a DC2 Honda Integra Type R under a Lancia Fulvia body. The rules don’t dictate that I’d have to keep the Lancia front-wheel drive, but, for some reason, I want to. A smooth bumper-less 365 A coupe over the workings of another Porsche; a 997 GT3 RS 4.0. How sublime would that be?
How about an Ur-Quattro with the latest V10 R8 underneath? Not just because they’re both Audis, but a Quattro without four-wheel drive is just plain wrong and it needs five cylinders, or multiples of five, at the very least. By all accounts, it should be turbocharged too, but there’s no way I could argue that. Not once the V10 is spinning at 8,500rpm and firing that noise straight to your core. No turbos, no thank you.
Even if I introduce the engines from race cars I can’t shake wanting some historical or mechanical link, no matter how obscure. I’d combine a Mk1 Lotus Cortina with a Mercedes-Benz 190 E DTM car running gear – there’s a very tenuous Cosworth association which makes that mix feel so right.
How about something more utilitarian? A bay-window VW panel van with a drivetrain from another rear-engined car, and that really is the only tie between these two: a Dakar-spec Porsche 959. Actually, make it a camper so the curtains in the rear can swing about at wild angles during hard cornering.
Is your imagination wilder? Or, like me, is there a greater satisfaction when there’s some sort of connection in your ideal car fusion, no matter how vague that relationship might be?
Will Beaumont
Instagram: will_beaumont88
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
A Cummins 6BT rolling coal in an XW50 Prius.
*4BT
Body: Unimog 416 (carbon rep)
Chassis: Tube frame - one off
Drivetrain: AMG S65 Final Edition - V12 1000hp
I've wanted the same car for a very, VERY long time. As far as I can tell, no manufacturer has ever built it.
A 2 door, 2 seat coupe (with a big, usable hatch instead of a trunk a la the S30 Z cars) with a clutch pedal, a killer AWD system, and a large displacement (7+L should do it) engine with great off-idle torque. Oh, but that's not hard enough to find. See, it also needs to look like a normal car, not a supercar. And it needs to have adequate approach and exit angles to not scrape on the kinds of driveways we have around here. We've already eliminated every vehicle ever made, so let's get crazy. Let's also throw in that I want mechanical limited slip differentials in the front and rear, and ideally the center would have a user adjustable bias option so I can make it 50-50 or 100-0 or 75-25 or whatever I want. Let's say a long wheelbase chassis, too. Plenty of sound deadening. Comfortable heated/cooled seats. A nice, thick heated steering wheel. Interior room for days. Proximity keys. CarPlay. A transmission that doesn't try to be smarter than you - no skip shift, no rev match, nothing like that. ZERO chrome inside - who wants to be blinded by trim? A nice big screen for the mandated backup camera, but it can't jut out of the dash - it has to be integrated. Physical buttons, with literally nothing requiring you to ever touch the screen. Reverse guidelines that read the steering angle sensor and accurately predict your path of travel. A forward and reverse facing camera that functions as a dash cam. The ability to fully, and I mean FULLY disable satellite radio, over-the-air updates, traction control, stability control, etc. Throttle mapping that's not trying to protect the driveline from the owner. Parts that are cheap, plentiful, and reliable. Tires with some actual gorram sidewall. A price tag under six figures. A five star safety rating. Stitched leather everything. A strong aftermarket. Available locally without a large amount of time, money, or effort to acquire. One-touch up windows. An attractive appearance.
Hell. Nothing's ever even came close.
Sounds like a C6 Z06 with AWD.
A C6 scrapes like a mofo. It has horrible approach angles. Aside from that (and the lack of AWD), a 'Vette's actually a decent choice.
A used Ferrari FF is the closest you're going to get, and it's pretty damn close, too.
I think you need a semi truck mate
yep a semi would fit that need
Body: '73 Winnebago D19 Brave - Aluminium - Full camper interior.
Chassis: Bagged Dodge Ram SRT
Drivetrain: Twin turbo Viper 8.3 V10, Borg-Warner 6sp manual
I wanna AMG V8 in my T5.
Or for true 'pie in the sky' the Lexus V10
1st option: Body bmw E34 touring with the double sunroof lol , Chasis and drive train audi rs6 C5 .
2nd option I would recreat the ARTZ GOLF MARK 1, A stretched MK1 panels fitted to a porsche 928 body and drive train with the porshe engine and 2 Recaro pole position seats.
A VW Golf Variant with Golf R body parts and running gear, only that the engine is a longitudinally-mounted VR6 Turbo.
A BTCC style Honda Civic Wagon - with modern NSX tech underneath.
An old Volvo 240 with modern tech from an S90 - Plug-in hybrid, AWD and all, maybe with a bit more boost.
There is a golf r wagon, so you are only an engine swap away
Not really, it's MQB platform, so it's horizontally mounted. But yeah, in theory you could stick a VR6 onto the Golf R Variant's DCT with an adapter plate and call it a day (easier said than done though, much easier said than done).
A Jensen interceptor with a BMW S85 v10, dogbox 4 speed, but it should still have the full interior and luxuries.
Ultimate cruiser
Body: Datsun 521 Pickup
Drivetrain: Subaru Impreza WRX STi with a bigger turbo
Why? All-wheel-drive and a good noise. Even when driving slowly. Maybe a V8 would do the trick as well, but I'm biased (WRX owner over here...). Just being able to cruise along in 70/80's style with loads of room to throw stuff in the back. Or maybe change the Datsun body to a Volvo 940 estate with a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series V8. As long as it's driveable everyday but holds some power when you want to have fun.
I have a lot of such ideas, one of the latest being an Alfa Romeo 4C chassis mated to the modern day Lancia Stratos body. Power will come from the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio's F154 V6 engine but without the two turbos.
The idea is to create a proper modern Stratos complete with a high-revving Ferrari V6.
Opel Manta (B) Coupe with the running grear from a C5 Corvette using the front and rear subframes and a shortened torque tube. (Manta has a wheel base only 100mm shorter)
LS3 engine (525BHP setup) with ITBS and tubular manifolds + NASCAR style side pipes with some silencing (so one's ears don't bleed)
Coilover conversion, upgraded anti roll bars.
Brembo brakes with floating discs and Ferrodo or Pagrid pads, stainless lines
BBS wheels and Michelin rubber to ensure good handling
Manta body modified to accept both crossmembers, with a FIA cage, retaining as much OEM looks externally.
Lokey a project that I kinda waany do is create a alloy body aston martin Db2 but with the DB4 engine and a jag gearbox but with the drivtrain of a DBS. Or something like a proper 2 seater coupe of the the 100e with a jag in line 6 and carbon fiber panales. But in both cases I would try and be sympathetic to the time period.
Third-gen Pontiac Trans Am with a 1JZ VVTi and the manual transaxle and suspension from a C6 Corvette.
i`ve got a 91 trans am in the works, my plan is as follows.
- full tube frame front to back
- c5 corvette driveline
- frp clam shell nose
the colors I have in mind are somewhere in between sky blue and lavender for the body and gold w polished lips for the wheels
currently working on the chassis design...
Sweet.
Sounds like a "straightforward" parts-bin build. i like it!
Awesome article and frankly where I feel the trend is going. A vehicle that perfectly matches our lifestyle.
I'm building my favorite mash-up now - 350z engine (VQ35DE) and 6 speed manual (CD009) in my '76 Datsun Pickup. I'm using the stock Infiniti G35 f&r suspension and brake assembly for modern ride and traction control (when needed).
End result? Back road cruiser, mountain bike hauler, camper w/rooftop tent, drift truck, and autoX toy.
Smart car with two hyabusa motors one in the front and one in the rear running on the same driveline chain so the wheels somehow turn at the same time.
There's a UK company called Tiger racing that built a caterham type kit car called a z100 for a while with 2 hayabusa engines. It was rather quick.
I totally get this line of thinking. in fact, most of my planned builds involve engine swaps at the very least. I'm currently working on swapping a 2.4 turbo from a Chrysler PT Cruiser into an old dodge K Car, and my '87 Supra would benefit more from a 383ci Chevy than its current 7M turbo...
I'll have a Ferrari P3/4 body, carbon tub body with an LFA V10 stuffed in the back, a manual transmission, and modern brakes and suspension
1973 Lincoln Town Coupe with extreme Group 5 inspired widebody kit, high boost Barra inline six mated to Sadev sequential and fully adjustable AWD system, with independent front and rear suspension. Keep stock interior (except the front seats), throw in some nicely tucked-in rollcage. Centerlock wheels, wild aero. That should do it.
I have 2 idea:
1. BMW M10 DOHC swapped KE70 coupe with boxstyle widebody, something like audi imsa. response-inclined, modern turbo setup with side exit exhaust on the left side with a cat on the tip, target is 300HP. seam welded and roll cage, paint it in Super White II
2. 3K engine that yeeted out will get a rebuild. jenvey heritage DCOE throttle body and distributorless setup. said engine will be mated to R1200GS gearbox and fitted to a custom hardtail bobber chassis with custom shaft. all black, straight pipe, and sprung seat. oh don't forget the hand shifter
Datsun 610 wagon body over 90's Pulsar GTI-R chassis and running gear, for some turbocharged all-wheel drive GrA rally goodness.
So Will Beaumont has been quarantined with Kyza Saleem, is what this article proves?
Fantasy 2020 builds are a formula:
Material: Carbo-Titanium all things, unless you want Chromoly or Seats
Engine: Big Version of what you drive
Transmission: Rifle-Bolt Manual or Sequential
Body: Wide Version of what you drive
Go crazy, thanks to mass production, I wish you all the balls to build what you dream, sincerely, as "all streets" need more diversity than this pathetic version of "2019/2020"... What happened to our old futures?!
There's only a problem when someone with LOL big money says "take (insert actual, historical hero here) and chop it up to make my stupid idea because I have no education, nor honor, nor respect". To quote the venerable Doctor Jones: "They belong in a (privately-owned, open to public, tax free if maintined properly) museum!"
first gen dodge neon coupe with evo X powertrain/awd. rallycross style trunk mounted radiator. get that period correct wrc bodywork and some oz crono’s for maximum impact.
I'd throw a 1973 Porsche 911 body on a McLaren 720s drivetrain.
2001 Toyota Chaser converted to left hand drive with a GT-R drivetrain and the v8 from a 488 Pista. F1 air actuated sequential transmission.
BMW i8 with an S63 (X5M) or a S55 (M3/4)
BMW i8 with a V12 build from two K1600 motorcycle inline-6s, revving to some 10k rpm..
Well, so far I've swapped an LS into an RX7, SBC into a 4X4 87 S10 Blazer, Buick V6 into a Chevy Luv, SBC into a Skyhawk. What I have in mind for future swap is a 20B into a Factory 5 32 Roadster kit. That or a Turbo K series honda engine.
Plus one on a K24 swapped 32.
BAC Mono with a Synergy BMW s1000rr v8 (similar to the one in the brz up top )
Car: Datsun 240Z
Drivetrain: Dodge viper V10 Gen 5 or Coyote 5.0
I've always had it in my head to build 911 with a full tube chassis and front mount Panamera 4.0 V8 engine.
1. BMW LMS v12 (McLaren F1 power) and a Getrag six-speed into an 850i, if cost were no object. And the same basic engine running two exposed turbos in the back of a Nazca C2-- for weekends, of course
2. Countach with a strengthened Murcielago motor, running a full Underground Racing turbo setup-- through the Diablo GTR's RWD gearbox of course. Given the power and the sound that setup can make NA, and the Countach's snappy-oversteer, I might forego the snails, now that I think about it.
3. Cosworth YB in a mildly-restyled Europa. You'd think that motor should go into a Merkur, but instead, I want to keep the Merkur's weird corner windows and make a...
4. Lopey-idling 5.8 (351)--ITB-powered, hatch version of the South-African XR8 homologation special.
5. Maserati Karif with Shamal styling influences and a modern F136 motor (from, say, a Quattroporte), boosted. Think Novitec-influenced Biturbo.
6. W126 560SEC Koenig with a Brabus-built 7.0 v12 and BMW sourced 6-speed, turbocharged and kicking flames out the sides like an SLR on meth. Suspension derived from AMG's crazy attempt at entering a W126 into Group A, circa 1990 or so. And gullwings-- because it came from the 80s.
7. Jag XKR (2005-ish) with the AMG M159 used in the current-model GT3 racer.
8. Toyota 2000GT restomod with LFA power.
9. Claudio Zampoli's V16 T-drive test car, his own widebody 308. Only let's replace those weaksauce CIS motors with modernized versions using 355 internals-- because 800 whp NA!
10. Lexus IS-F swapped SC400 / Soarer.
11. Hartley twin-'Busa V8 in an Opel GT for sure. Or a 700hp twin-turbo version in the trunk of a Lotus Esprit, mated to the gearbox of an Audi V10.
If I had the money I'd love to stuff a hellcat or demon engine into a 69 Daytona and build it with a modern time attack/pro touring vibe.
Or stick a 4 rotor into something wildly inappropriate... have to make up for my sin of putting a V8 in my FC.
Supra A90 with a 2JZ
Mitsubishi FTO with the Evo 9 drivetrain
2007-2012 Lexus LS 460 chassis with the 2020 Lexus LS 500 twin turbo drivetrain
Subaru SVX with the last generation EJ205
S15 with a VR38DETT
.................just a few of my ideas
RB 25 Det swapped Subaru wrx gf8 wagon
1982 DeLorean
Billet 13B with huge single turbo conversion
Subaru or Porsche AWD system
0-88MPH in no time
A Corolla Hatchback with a Blacktop 7AGE and Super Strut Suspension with Coilovers
AE86 with 26B tri-turbo with ATESSA ETS
Body: '68 Land Rover 88" Series 11A - as found.
Chassis: '68 VW framehead/centre/rear. Tube outer frame. Narrowed beam.
Drivetrain: Twin 48IDA, 2.1 or Vintage Speed 36hp
The latest Volvo V60 body with a tuned B5244T5 with a BW EFR6758 turbo, manual M66 and AWD to replace the unappetizing 4cyl lump.
A 13B Lada 2106. Lada chassis is a perfectly balanced, compact very simple rwd one. All of it makes it a perfect candidate for a performance project. But there is a problem, it is a really small four-door sedan, the engine bay is very short. To swap something more capable not cutting it all over is difficult, even four cylinders. So rotary power looks perfect to me to swap and go smoky sideways.
Lfa with a 240z body
R35 gtr with a sti wagon body
I thought it would be cool if so.e company made a tube frame body and you could swap bodies easily but thatd be out of my price range
As a dream project a 13B Prince R380 with Lotus Elise suspension or a Ferrari 250 GT SWB Passo Corto with a K24 and GT86 suspension, then as something as out of the box as possible, a rear split window Beetle turnt into front engined rwd with a boosted Suzuki G13B engine and Cappuccino chassis, the cappuccino is narrow enough to make it look like a sleeper although it would need to get the floor enlarged since the wheelbase from the Cappuccino is shorter than the one from the Beetle.
Money no object I would build every 1:24 scale model kit I built with drivetrain swaps and every single one of my 250+ VirtualModels photoshop chop series in 1:1. Street legal, of course - because first and foremost I am a driver and those machines are meant to be driven.
Check out my insta @photoshopchops
Best regards
Sebastian
EF Honda Civic (my favourite Civic body style). DX body, no sunroof, nothing to indicate anything strange.
Complete drivetrain from a Subaru WRX STI. Or to be even crazier, use the complete engine and drivetrain from a Skyline GT-R. All components modified to fit into the Civic body. It would be lowered subtly and have some minor appearance upgrades. From the outside it would look like a lightly modified old Civic.
I would love to have a 1st gen Mazdaspeed3 on a Ford Focus RS drivetrain. The Mazda is basically a Focus chassis underneath anyways and the 2.3l engine is shared too. AWD would be killer in a little hatch like that.
I'm a mini-truck guy, so I'd want a late 80s/early 90s Dodge D-50 extended cab with a second generation Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 drivetrain stuffed under it.
My brother had a '93 3000GT VR-4, and I did all the maintenance for him.
It takes a brave man to knowingly walk into that hornet's nest.
Lol
Volvo C30, supercharged K20, AWD swap (from the S40 because shared wheelbase), stripped and on slicks
Alternatively, Tesla P100D drivetrain in a Volvo 245 estate for the ultimate in cool dailys
I have always wanted to build a Corarri
ferrari 550 maranello drivetrain under a 1963 split window vette
Since I like german and japanese cars it would have to be a mashup of those two. Im thinking of a current model astra estate (mid-size, good looking, modern car) with the running gear of a lancer evolution 10.
You could say thats just an audi s4 but I think a four cilinder would save some weight over a v6. Also, make it like 450hp, manual and 40/60 power distribution
2016 Chevy Sonic engine swapped to a 2.0L z20LEH from European Vauxhall cousin. Swap out manual stock gear ratio for MZ0 ratio from Chevy Cruze. Convert to four-wheel disc brakes upsized to 16" simultaneously converting bolt pattern from 5x105 to 5x115 from Chevy Cruze diesel. Bagged and lowered. "Skyline" bumper package from Thailand. LED headlight and taillight conversion. Smoked lenses. Glossy carbon fibre hood and hatch. Retain brilliant factory Dragon Green paint. Rebadge with Chevy's "SS" logo.
A mercedes w114 whit a coyote or a 2jz, better brakes, a electromagnetic dampers sistem, just the perfect gt
This has been on my mind alot with my current car. I have a 2002 Nissan Stagea (NM35). The current swaps I am considering with it is:
Simple/Budget swaps:
--VQ35 swap with either single or twin turbo. keeping the AWD system (bolts straight up)
--Some type of V8 (LS7, Miami 5L, VK56) and just run it as RWD.
Unlimited money swap:
VR38DETT with the whole GTR drivetrain and electronics.
Not exactly earth shattering, but I love the M35 and wagons in general.. these swaps would make it alot more fun though.
an old chopped and bagged ford f150 with a single turbo 2jz making about 1500wp would have full interior and ac with 1 touch windows and would be a dark red with black pinstripes.
ooorrr a 2000hp r34 gtr vpec 2 in full street trim