Swoon at this BRM V16 continuation

Continuation classics are all the rage right now, and the latest you can add to the list is this glorious BRM P15 V16. Three ‘new’ P15s are being made to celebrate the 70th birthday of the British Racing Motors team.

They’re being painstakingly put together with the help of 20,000 technical drawings by historic restoration specialists Hall and Hall, with the first going to 81-year-old John Owen. He’s the son of BRM team principal Sir Alfred Owen, and he’s been desperate to hear the 16-cylinder racecar driven in anger again.

“Watching the likes of the Pampas Bull (Gonzalez) and, in particular, Fangio, master the power of the V16 was very special”, said John. “And the fabulous noise of the engine still rings in my ears 70 years on!

“In a selfish way, I have always dreamed of hearing that sound again but now I’d also love to share that sensation with others. To hear the V16 screaming at full tilt for the first time is something special – something you never forget.”

Screaming is the correct word – it revs to 12,000rpm and produces around 600bhp. Big numbers, but there’ll be an element of safety.

“The cars will be constructed to FIA standards,” we’re told, “and therefore will be fully eligible for historic racing. Thus, taking the first and most important step in the preservation and growth of the BRM marque - the ability for future generations worldwide to see, and above all, hear, the mighty V16 for years to come.”

While the first car is headed into the Owen family, the other two are up for grabs. Want one?