The gorgeous, all-aluminum creatures have been restored by Thornley Kelham and are powered by new Busso V-6 engines.
Thornley Kelham has gone about rebuilding nine versions of the classic 1950s racer for collectors, inspired by California’s outlaw culture. To summarize, the Aurelia B20GT was the first car to feature a V-6 engine and radial tires, making it far ahead of its time.
The “Outlaw,” the British outfit’s version on the low-slung ride, has the same aggressive attitude as the original, but with much more power and panache. The business has already delivered a handful of reworked Outlaws, each with a 2.8-liter tuned V-6. This batch produces roughly 177 horsepower, whereas the original Aurelias produced around 119 horsepower. But for Thornley Kelham, the improvement in strength wasn’t enough.
The “European CSL,” the previous three restomods, have been given considerably greater grunt. Because each car will be equipped with a 3.2-liter “Busso” V-6 engine, which can be found in some truly famous Alfa Romeos. The new mill, according to the team, can generate more than 304 horsepower, which is routed to the back wheels via a five-speed transaxle transmission.
Modern brakes and updated suspension will be installed on the four-wheelers for better handling. The powerful three will also be significantly lighter than its forerunners. (The CSL, which stands for “coupe, sports, and lightweight,” explains the acronym.) The exterior will be made of hand-forged aluminum panels rather than steel, resulting in a total fighting weight of around 2,425 pounds.
Each car will be worked on for 5,000 hours in total, with 2,200 hours dedicated to strengthening and changing the chassis and body. Meanwhile, the interior will be fully leathered, with a wood steering wheel and an incorporated roll cage. Of course, you can anticipate all of the modern conveniences, such as air conditioning and power steering. While the Outlaw is a significant accomplishment, Thornley Kelham isn’t content to rest on its laurels.
In fact, the team claims to be working on further reinventions.
In a statement, co-founder Simon Thornley said:
“The European CSL is the first in a new line-up of projects we have designed to debut in the coming years that will be badged as ‘The Europeans’ by Thornley Kelham.” “These will be constructed around famous performance cars, redesigned with fresh designs, upgraded performance, and a thorough eye for detail, just like the Aurelia commissions.”
