Another masterpiece from the masters.
By this point we’ve all come to expect nothing but top-tier work from Wisconsin-based custom car builder Ringbrothers. Jim and Mike Ring have churned out a long line of masterful creations, from Mustangs to Blazers, and this latest reveal certainly lives up to expectations.
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The brothers have taken their 1948 Cadillac fastback coupe, a car many have come to know as Madam V since it was revealed back in 2016 at the SEMA Show and added more classic touches to it for a transformed look.
As you can plainly see from the official Ringbrothers photos, the body of Madam V has been changed from what we saw 5 years ago. Instead of black trim, the Cadillac wears gleaming chrome. The modern mesh grille has been replaced by a classic one, same as the newer Cadillac insignia on the hood being swapped for the old version. Also gone is the heat extractor in the hood along with the section painted black. The split-spoke wheels were also ditched in favor of more period-correct examples, which have whitewall tires wrapped around them.
While Madam V certainly looks more like a classic Caddie from the outside, the chassis, drivetrain, and interior are decidedly modern. They were donated by a 2016 Cadillac ATS-V. While the new front end, especially the grille and headlights are obvious changes, Ringbrothers says it also put on new front wheel arches.
The modern Cadillac twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 under the hood produces about 464-horsepower, a tremendous bump over what it featured back in the day. Most of the exhaust system comes from the ATS-V, but some changes had to be made for fitment purposes. There are custom stainless steel Flowmaster tailpipes fitted for an aggressive exhaust note, although we doubt it sounds as mean as a V8.
According to Ringbrothers, about 1,000 hours of work was put into updating the 1948 Cadillac. The stated goal was to make the build “more subtle and refined” than the previous iteration. From a design standpoint, we think Ringbrothers achieved just that.
