GTO Engineering has revealed the first sketches of its bespoke interior for the all-new Squalo V12 sports car. Celebrating the best of Italian automotive design with bespoke craftsmanship and handmade details, the Squalo will blend timeless luxury with modern functionality and cutting-edge, engineering driven thinking.
One of the most important parts of the Squalo is its cabin. The interior is the culmination of months of preparation, which is being combined with decades of experience and a fresh take on utilising modern materials and manufacturing methods. The result is an initial showcase of the direction GTO Engineering plans to take with the Squalo’s cockpit.
Quality is the main ethos behind Project Moderna. Every element has been carefully designed and analysed to ensure it fits with the cars character, as well as working with material selection and ensuring the cabin is a luxurious yet enjoyable place to be. Part of this quest for quality has also driven the team to focus on simplicity, to minimise clutter and maximise driving experience and enjoyment.
Within the drawings, viewers will be able to see there’s a focus on cabin space, luggage and visibility as well as having buttons and switches rather than touchscreens. Likewise, the touch points of the steering wheel, dials and switches have been deliberated at length. GTO Engineering plans to release more sketches and an explanation around the hidden technology within the cabin including sound system, smartphone integration, infotainment screen and storage capacity including cup holders, in the coming months.
“Squalo drivers will spend more time inside the car than looking at it from the outside, so it was vital to us that we not only listened to our customers but also drew on our experience of driving sports cars to focus on what’s important within the cabin: simplicity and driver engagement, said GTO Engineering Managing Director and Founder Mark Lyon.
“As a bespoke, hand crafted vehicle we want to make sure that every detail has been carefully thought out, and are continuing to be deliberated at length as we get closer to the production specification. We hope the drawings explain some of our thoughts and focus on craftsmanship as well as material selection.”
The design team is working on a bespoke seating arrangement that fits comfortably and stylishly in the spacious cockpit, available in a range of leather colours and patterns. GTO Engineering is also critically mapping out placements for items like pedals, the steering wheel and manual gearbox selector to ensure they’re in an optimised position for driver enjoyment.
Since its initial announcement in November 2020, the development of the Squalo and its 460BHP v12 engine continues both internally and externally. This is with the help of the ever-growing in-house team at GTO Engineering as well as external partners who are the best in their field. All this has been done to ensure that the Squalo will be one of the most exciting enthusiast cars of the decade, with the first customer deliveries still on track for 2023.
