The Godsil Manhattan promises to be a 1,000bhp V16 Rolls rival

You may or may not have heard of Godsil Motorcars, so the bottom line is this: its founder, Jason Godsil, wants to build a 1,000bhp, V16-engined modern-day Rolls-Royce rival with styling that echoes the Art Deco cars from the 1930s.

No small ask, then. It doesn’t currently exist, besides the renders you see above, though many promises we have been, um, promised thus far, with a simple premise: “What would a Duesenberg look like today if they were still in business?”

That’s why it looks the way it does. We’re told the initial sketches for the Manhattan from 2011 had a ‘60s-spec boat-tail, refined into a more modern design for the renders we’ve now got. There will be an option for a glass roof panel for a more open feel, brushed stainless steel accents around the body, side body vents, and rear-hinged doors, a-la Rolls-Royce.

It’s big, too. The four-seat luxury design is said to sit in between the size of a RR Wraith and Phantom Coupe, with a wheelbase measuring 3.4m (the Wraith’s clocks in at 3.1m long). There are LED lights. There are huge 22in wheels. And, they figured, if pre-war luxury Americana is the outside, the inside – specifically, the engine – also needs to be big. V16 big.

We’re told this V16 will be around 13 litres in capacity, pumping out that circa 1,000bhp figure, powered not by fuel, but natural gas instead (the new VW Polo has a CNG option, just FYI).

It’s only the first in a range of Godsil cars that are planned. If/when this gets built, there are further plans for a four-door saloon, an SUV and even a mid-engined supercar, all featuring the same V16 natural gas engine, named after US cities and landmarks, and each featuring the same Art Deco styling.

So, can this become the new “halo car for America”? Is it even a real thing? Wade in below with your thoughts...