Ringbrothers Turn a Brand-New Cadillac ATS-V Into a Gorgeous '48 Coupe
Said another way, this is a '48 Cadillac with a 464-hp twin-turbo V6, ABS, traction control, Track Mode, and a touchscreen dashboard.
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By
Chris Perkins
Nov 1, 2016
Usually, you'd call a custom car that combines the best of old- and new-school a restomod, but that term doesn't begin to encompass the latest
Ringbrothers creation. Instead of simply dropping a modern engine into a classic Cadillac, the Ringbrothers did the opposite—they wrapped a heavily-modified '48 Cadillac body around a brand-new Cadillac ATS-V's guts.
This wild creation is called Madam V, and it made its debut at the SEMA show on Tuesday. Brothers Jim and Mike Ring started with two ATS-Vs, a used 2015 and a new 2016. They cut the body off one ATS-V and stretched the naked chassis 14 inches. Then, they painstakingly set about installing the heavily-massaged body panels from a 1948 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe on the modern underpinnings.
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Underneath the skin, this is a bone-stock ATS-V. Not only does it have the same 464-HP twin-turbo V6 as the standard car, it also retains all of the interior components and electronic features. That means you get all of the ATS-V's luxuries, and its clever, electronically-aided chassis hardware. Yes, this is a 1940s hot rod with ABS, traction control, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and Cadillac's dedicated Track Mode. Dang.
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The interior looks almost entirely stock too, which is pretty incredible. Most restomods include some modern interior components here or there, but stepping into this car is like stepping into a brand-new ATS-V. Since the Ringbrothers kept the whole interior intact, they were able to keep all of the modern Cadillac's complex electronics fully functional.
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"Typically when we build a classic car, we're getting rid of as many stock components as possible to make way for modern or custom enhancements," said Mike Ring in a press release. "This was kind of the opposite–we're keeping as much of the ATS-V as we can because GM designed it so well."
The Madam V takes the classic hot rod idea of putting a new engine in an old car to a magnificent extreme. The Ringbrothers created something that matches the sharp looks of a classic Caddy, with some of the best performance hardware GM has to offer.