You’d be forgiven for thinking that Gullwing America was all about the classic Mercedes-Benz 300 SL and its modern-day successor, the SLS AMG. But disregarding the name, the company has stepped out of Stuttgart’s shadow for its latest classic recreation.

GWA calls it the Ferrari 340 Competizione, as it pays tribute to the original 1952 Ferrari 340 Mexico. Only three of those racers were made, and they were designed specifically
to tackle the legendary Carrera Panamericana where, fittingly, Mercedes’ 300 SL dominated.

The modern interpretation takes a Ferrari 456 GT as its starting point, retaining its 470-horsepower 5.4-liter V12 and six-speed manual transmission, but upgrading the aerodynamics, suspension and brakes, draping fresh aluminum bodywork over the mechanicals. The interior likewise pays homage to the 340 Mexico, but packs modern touches like carbon fiber seats.

It’s a work in progress, and only one example is reportedly set to be built. Which is just as well, because knowing how keenly Ferrari likes to protect its property, any prospects of serial production – however limited – would likely be kiboshed by Maranello. We’ll look forward to watching the project unfold, but for now, you can check out the renderings in our image gallery for a closer look.

GWA spreads its wings to Mexico with Ferrari 340 Competizione project originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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