PHOTOGRAPHY HUCKLEBERRY MOUNTAIN
Enyo. The most bonkers thing I’ve ever driven. The most bonkers thing I ever will drive and now my immediate answer to that oh so frequent question “What’s the best car you’ve ever driven?”
Well, kinda. It’s not that this Frankenstein’s monster, this Chevrolet farm truck/IndyCar creation is the fastest thing I’ll ever drive, and it’s certainly not got the most delicate handling or neck stretching braking performance either, but for sheer visceral noise and drama I’m not sure anything will ever come close. Where are Doc Brown and that wired up DeLorean when you need them? I want to relive this day over and over.
Enyo was built by the Wisconsin based tuners at Ringbrothers back in 2022 before being revealed to the world at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas that same year. It won the brothers – Jim and Mike Ring – the top award at the show and was then shipped off to its owner without anyone ever really driving it. Heck, Mike hadn’t even driven it until today.
The shell is (well, it was) a 1948 Chevy Loadmaster Super Truck, but during 10,000 hours of build time it was chopped and transformed into an open wheel racer with a Goodwin Competition 8.4-litre LS race engine, a Bowler Performance four-speed automatic gearbox, a bespoke chassis, a Dana limited-slip differential, custom inboard suspension with Öhlins springs and dampers, Brembo brakes with six-piston calipers, bespoke 18-inch HRE wheels and Goodyear Racing Eagle slick tyres. And yes, we are driving it on the road.
Oh, and did I mention that this thing is utterly terrifying? If my knowledge of Greek mythology was slightly better, I probably would have had some prior warning – it turns out Enyo is the ancient Greek goddess of war. Although I get all the warning I need when that monstrous V8 is fired up for the first time. The titanium exhaust system is a work of art in itself, and you can flip a switch to have all of the noise out of the side pipes or to send some of it back behind the cab. The latter is apparently the more civilised, slightly quieter option. “For going past churches and stuff,” says fabricator Ryan.
From where I’m sitting there doesn’t seem to be much difference between the two. The noise is pure NASCAR fury. I’m pretty sure the BBC’s occupational health team can hear it back in London. Whatever – my hearing was never very good in the first place any way.
1 Mike Ring – ex-Navy, ex-construction, full-time car nut
2 Jim Ring started the business with a bank loan for $5k and a lot of hard work
4 Original
Chevy cab was stretched to accommodate larger modern drivers. No offence, Greg