Meet BILLIE. All caps likely because you’d have to shout to hear yourself over the din this thing will make. In short, it’s a 1965 Pontiac GTO modified by tuner siblings Ringbrothers to house a massive (and modern) 6.2-liter V8.
That’s the small-block LT4 General Motors V8, here supercharged to the tune of 650hp and 880Nm, delivered through a 10-speed automatic gearbox to the rear wheels to deliver...thrills. No 0-100kph time, but expect it to be ‘many.’ Ditto the noise.
Not that speed (or noise) is the name of the game here, more preserving something with a bit of heart. “The owner wanted to recreate something that held real sentimental value,” said co-owner Mike Ring, “and during our early conversations, he suggested calling it GOAT.”
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Ringbrothers came back with ‘BILLIE,’ as in billy goat, and it sort of just stuck. And speaking of stuck, they redesigned the body by sticking a load of carbon fiber on it. It’s now five inches wider than it was in 1965, the arches are new, the rear’s fatter, there’s a new front valance and rear diffuser, and it features custom bumpers and headlight surrounds.
So it’s a Pontiac GTO, just with a load more GTO. Other hits also include a custom exhaust, a Roadster Shop ‘Fast Track Stage III’ chassis, Fox coilovers, six-pot Brembos, and 19-inch/20-inch wheels.
This being a Ringbrothers creation means attention to interior detailing, too, so the dash has been redone and is now four inches forward and two inches lower. There’s climate control, a restored factory radio, and gray-blue leather. Among other things.
“We spent countless hours massaging the factory lines, reshaping the fenders, and refining how every panel transitions into the next,” said co-owner Jim Ring. “There’s a massive amount of fabrication hidden beneath the subtle touches in the design.”
Well, perhaps not entirely countless, because we’re told more than 5,500 hours were spent building the thing. “The goal was to make those changes feel completely natural and organic, as if Pontiac had built it this way,” added Jim.
More photos of the Ringbrothers BILLIE:
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
