New V12 Hypercar Promises Analog Thrills, Exclusivity

Even though electric cars have proven to be incredibly fast, in the upper echelon where bespoke hypercars sit, plenty of buyers still want big V12 engines. These aren’t commuters looking for the efficiency of something like a Toyota Prius. They’re enthusiasts chasing emotion, sound, and drama.

Many of these buyers may still drive an EV during the week, but when the weekend comes and they’re ready to hit their favorite roads, they crave the visceral feel of an internal-combustion engine, along with the engagement that only a manual transmission can deliver. That’s the kind of demand the new British company Garagisti & Co. aims to meet with its first hypercar: the GP1. Like similar efforts such as the rival Nilu hypercar and the P72 from the revived De Tomaso, the GP1 stands as a bold, analog statement in a digital age.

Ex-Bugatti Designer Involved

The sultry shape of the GP1 was crafted by a team that includes Ángel Guerra, who previously worked on projects at Bugatti and Rimac, including the latest Bugatti Tourbillon hypercar. The design looks fresh yet familiar. The front recalls the Pininfarina Battista electric hypercar, while the rear clearly draws influence from classic Lamborghini models, particularly the Countach.

That influence is no coincidence. Garagisti founder Mario Escudero owns a Countach 25th Anniversary edition, painted in the same shade of orange originally used for the Miura. Only two Countachs are believed to have left the factory in that hue.

According to Escudero, the GP1 represents an evolution of where iconic supercars like the Countach might have gone for future generations, had they embraced modern technology while staying fully analog.

V12? Check. Manual Gearbox? Check.

The GP1 rides on a carbon-fiber monocoque and uses lightweight materials throughout its body. The claimed dry weight is just 2,204 pounds, or about the same as a Mazda MX-5 Miata. One key to the low weight? A spartan interior focused purely on driving. Don’t look for an infotainment screen in the GP1.

Power comes from a 6.6-liter naturally aspirated V12 paired with a 6-speed manual transmission sourced from Xtrac. The engine produces 800 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, revving past 9,000 rpm. No turbos, no hybrid boost. Just raw, high-revving performance sent exclusively to the rear wheels. That engine is developed by Italtecnica Engineering, while the chassis is engineered by DEXET Technologies. Other suppliers mentioned include Brembo and Ohlins.

Garagisti, whose name comes from the Italian word used to describe the small independent teams that competed in the early days of Formula 1, plans to build only 25 examples of the GP1 and is already accepting reservations. The starting price is £2.45 million (approximately $3.2 million), though final pricing will depend heavily on customization, something Garagisti will offer in abundance. Production will take place in the UK, but no official start date has been announced.

Development is still ongoing, and for now, the car exists only as a digital rendering. More details will follow in the lead-up to the debut of the first physical example.

Sources: Garagisti & Co.