RML Short Wheelbase review

Under the beautifully-formed and appropriately power-bulged bonnet is the 479bhp 5.5-litre V12 from the Ferrari 550, the car that also donates its steel backbone chassis, suspension and brakes. Rebuilt and blue-printed, the engine’s stable of prancing ponies are as healthy as when new, pulling with the deep chested relentlessness that only a large naturally aspirated unit can, its responses to your right foot instant and beautifully proportionate. The bespoke four-exit exhaust gives the unit its full voice too, the 12-cylinder unit singing and crackling from baritone to glorious tenor as it spins around to 7000rpm. It’s not slow either, firing the RML down straights with real intent (it clocked a 4.8 second 0-60mph on our timing gear), although the creamy smooth, linear delivery means it doesn’t feel as fast as today’s whizz-bang turbocharged tearaways, which have been digitally tuned to give kidney-kicking responses at the merest touch of right pedal - you really have squeeze the RML's long travel accelerator to the floor to unleash its ultimate potential.

It’s helped along by the six-speed transaxle transmission that click-clacks through its gate, bringing back happy memories of the days before seamless-shift twin-clutch transmissions. You need to be deliberate and precise, but once the unit’s oil is warmed through it’s a joy to use, especially as it is matched to pedals that are perfectly spaced and weighted for grin-inducing, blipped throttle heel-and-toe down changes.

This old school approach extends to the chassis, but in a good way. The 550’s double wishbone suspension is retained, but RML adds its own anti-roll bars, springs and multi-way Ohlins adjustable dampers. In its default road setting, the 250 is compliant but with just enough control. Potholes and sharp imperfections send a jolt through the structure, while very occasionally the car will bottom out through severe compressions, but the rest of the time the RML keeps things on a supple but even keel. 

The steering is quick and meatily weighted with just enough feel through the gorgeous, thin-rimmed wheel, and with a relatively short wheelbase (the clue’s in the name), the RML turns-in keenly and accurately. With all that torque from the V12, it’s easy to trim your line on the throttle, while the well-controlled roll from the relatively soft suspension helps give the SWB a predictable and forgiving balance. There is traction control but no ESP, so the RML's uses good old-fashioned feedback and progressiveness to let you know where the limit is, making for a very user-friendly on-limit behaviour.  When you do want to slow everything down, the 550-sourced brakes feature a firm pedal and reassuring bite.