Eight cars that need restomods

BMW E28 M5

The original BMW M5 is perhaps the definition of modern classic. As totemic as M seems to be these days, it hasn’t been around all that long in the grand scheme of things. It certainly wasn’t around when those first Porsche 911s and Jaguar E-types were originally kicking about. But it’s got a familiar cultish following and reverence. Imagine the kind of howling straight-six hero that could be made out of an original M5 given the budget. Redux Leichtbow, get it done...

Ford Capri

Oh, how we do love a fast Ford and how we do love to see racing Capris battling door-to-door at the Members’ Meeting. Surely, the iconic model would be a perfect candidate for the ‘Singer’ treatment? Blister the arches a bit, spruce up the cabin, refine the brightwork and the lighting, get the stance right and get the V6 singing on individual throttle bodies. Get it down to 1,100kg and up to around 350PS (257kW) and it’d be near-on the perfect coupe. You can just imagine it can’t you and it’s glorious – the actual car you always promised yourself. Who could undertake such work? Ric Wood? Mountune maybe? Someone make some enquiries.

Honda NSX

We were back and forth on how one would go about the resto-modding of an NSX. Looking at it, it’s quite a modern thing as it is but we reckon there’s room in there for improvement. Perhaps take some inspiration from the NSX R-GT? A bit of a roof scoop for a McLaren F1-style induction symphony? Again, get that revvy throbbing V6 singing even louder with a big F1-style carbon airbox going to that scoop. On the inside, well, Honda sort of set the template with the last of the NSX Type Rs. They had properly funky cabins, with red Alcantara-clad Recaro seats. The NSX would require a delicate restomodder’s touch, we think.

Jaguar XJC Coupe

Ah, the XJC Coupe. We thank Harry Metcalfe for the inspiration for this idea. His manual XJC V12 is getting a spruce up itself and we can’t help but imagine what you’d get if the entire chequebook, mortgage and livelihood were thrown at such a project. A screaming XJR-9-esque V12 would match nicely with a notchy Ferrari-style gated manual shift. On the outside, a bodywork treatment stopping only a little way short of the legendary Broadspeed racers. Again, the kind of dream machine that’s easy to imagine.

Peugeot 205 GTi

Until relatively recently, the thought of these everyman performance heroes getting the budget they deserve thrown at them was a pipe dream. Then Automobili Amos came along and made a £300,000 two-door Delta and we all lost our minds. That, but for the 205 GTi, please. Maybe a bit of a T16 nod, or a Dimma touch? Boxy ‘80s brilliance takes so well to a bit of widening. Get that thrummy little four-banger on ‘bodies with some screaming cams and send her singing. Around 800kg, around 180PS (132kW), it sounds delightful.

Renault Clio Williams

I mean, you could probably ditto the plan for the 205 with the Clio Williams and maybe up the power to 200PS (147kW). A touch of Rangotti’s wide-bodied Clio Maxi, weight under a tonne, the screaming four-pot. A £200,000 Clio sort of sounds insane but these projects have a habit of extinguishing any sensibility around finance.

Rover SD1

The words “big V8 restomod” probably conjure up images of an AC Cobra or Ford Mustang in your mind. We’re here to ask, what about on the other side of the pond? The Rover SD1 would surely be a cracking candidate for the budget-no-object treatment. Get that Rover V8 fully on song and howling, get the arches pushed out a bit, maybe within an overall Group A-style bodywork treatment, stance and wheel choice. Get the cabin nipped up, with nicer trim and tighter panel gaps. It could be a genuine hoot alongside the E28 M5 and Capri we mentioned earlier.

Alfa Romeo GTV6

The Alfa Romeo Busso V6 is one of the all-time great Italian engines, alongside the Ferrari Colombo V12, Lancia’s V4 and Lamborghini’s Bizzarrini V12. The GTV6 was as beautiful as the motor that powered it but we see a lot of potential for a howling restomod. Again, with a bit of Group A stance and bodywork blistering, along with that V6 having the chequebook thrown at it and the cabin trimmed in the finest furs and alloys, we imagine a machine that could cultivate envy in the smuggest Reimagined 911 driver.

So there are eight classics we think would restomod beautifully. Are we right in our selections? Are there any we missed? We want to hear your suggestions...