“Miata is always the answer” evidently applies even when the question is how to own a $50 million Italian legend on a blue-collar budget. For this reason, someone decided to turn a 2017 Mazda MX-5 RF into a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO.
Offered at the Mecum Auctions event in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 24, 2026, this bizarre fusion of Japanese reliability and Maranello mythology promised all the timeless glamour of classic racing with none of the agonizing mechanical breakdowns.
Crafted by coachbuilder Darrin Wood of Modern Custom Classics, almost every single body panel result swapped for bespoke carbon-fiber components designed to mimic the swooping lines, round headlights, and iconic triple nose intakes of the original GTO, a holy grail of which Ferrari only ever built 36 examples between 1962 and 1964.
Despite the altered proportions required to stretch over a modern front-mid-engine roadster chassis, the end result is surprisingly cohesive and undeniably retro, complete with classic wire wheels.
Under the carbon shell, however, purists expecting a roaring V12 will smile disappointed. Power comes strictly from Mazda’s factory 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine generating 184 HP, though it does sing through a throatier Borla exhaust system. Even better, Wood retained the MX-5 RF’s factory power-retractable hardtop mechanism, meaning you can impersonate a mid-century racing hero at the push of a button.
Stepping inside reveals where the illusion abruptly ends. The cabin remains completely stock 2017 MX-5 RF, meaning you get modern luxuries like air conditioning, GPS navigation, a backup camera, and functional airbags.
Showing 51,022 miles on the odometer, this daily-drivable tribute car took part at the auction without an official estimate. While proper 250 GTOs trade for tens of millions of dollars and high-end recreations frequently fetch six figures, bidding on this carbon-clad Miata topped out at $120,000 (€105,512). That wasn’t enough to clear the owner’s undisclosed reserve, meaning the car went home unsold and will likely resurface on the market soon.
Whether paying six figures for a Japanese sports car playing Italian dress-up is brilliant or absurd remains up for debate, but it certainly costs less than Maranello’s legal team charges by the hour.
