(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) – More than fifty years after Luigi Chinetti Jr. commissioned the 1972 Daytona Shooting Brake, the design studio Niels van Roij Design brings a modern interpretation of the extraordinary vehicle to the road: The Daytona Shooting Brake Hommage is understood as a contemporary expression of the classic shooting brake concept.
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The vehicle, which was announced more than five years ago, combines traditional craftsmanship with modern engineering and is based on an Italian grand tourer platform with a V12 front engine. In total, more than 15,000 hours went into the design development, technical refinement, and artisanal implementation of the project.
Sculptural Shooting Brake Design in Aluminum
During the redesign, every exterior body part except the doors was extensively changed. The body, formed entirely from aluminum, features a continuous roofline that transitions into a single, sculptural rear volume. To maintain visual calm and purity of form, the lines were designed without interruptions by the rear bumper or visible seams.
A special technical detail is the electrically operated butterfly side windows, mounted on precision-milled aluminum hinges, allowing access to the luggage compartment. The rear glazing, however, remains fixed. The entire development process combined classic hand sketches and full-scale clay models with digital surface design and computer-aided construction.
At the front of the vehicle, new headlight units were developed specifically for this project using CAD methods and realized by 3D printing from carbon fiber composite material. They reinterpret the distinctive amber graphic of the historic Daytona by translating the color identity into a three-dimensional light volume instead of a solid plastic element.
Photo series: Daytona Shooting Brake Hommage as an exclusive one-off
The lights running across the entire width feature precision-milled aluminum details as well as black-painted studio signatures on the outer edges. Matching the curvature of the hood, the construction bears the finely milled inscription “Daytona,” under which “Shooting Brake Hommage” is integrated as a secondary design element. The lighting system emits a deep, amber glow.
Precision in the Interior and Sporty Rear
At the rear of the vehicle, the lighting is embedded behind hardened glass in a trapezoidal architecture deeply recessed into the body. The exhaust system consists of four large tailpipes integrated into a striking carbon diffuser. The arrangement of the pipes visually resembles a double-barreled shotgun because they are paired and slightly angled upwards, a stylistic nod to the term shooting brake.
Additionally, this construction allows the V12 naturally aspirated engine an unfiltered acoustic unfolding. The chassis continues the restrained design line. The polished wheels echo the chrome-spoke aesthetic of the 1972 original, while the brake calipers are kept in subtle satin silver.
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The interior was conceived as a study of material hierarchy and proportions. In reference to the historic Chinetti original, the primary instrument housing is centrally located in the dashboard. Instead of the walnut wood used at the time, precisely processed carbon fiber is now used as the supporting surface.
All primary contact surfaces such as seats, dashboard, door panels, and headliner are covered with cognac-colored leather, applied over hand-formed aluminum structures. The designers paid special attention to the luggage compartment. Six custom-made, three-dimensional aluminum rails were CNC-milled, brushed, and integrated into the carbon floor.
The outer rails bear the engraving of the vehicle name, while the central elements contain the emblem of the design studio, strategically placed so that it is visible only from certain angles through the windows or from inside the cabin.
Background and Upcoming World Premiere
“The 1972 Daytona Shooting Brake stands as one of the purest expressions of freedom in coachbuilding,” says designer Niels van Roij. “With the Hommage, we did not try to replicate it but to reinterpret its essence through a contemporary lens. It is a pure but sculptural automobile defined by proportions, material clarity, and restraint—one that honors its inspiration while existing entirely on its own terms.”
The London-based studio Niels van Roij Design specializes in so-called coachbuilding, where exclusive, handcrafted bodies are created on existing chassis. The studio’s earlier internationally known one-offs include the Breadvan Hommage, the Henry II Shooting Brake converted for a customer on a Rolls-Royce basis with integrated bicycle carrier, the Silver Spectre Shooting Brake, and the Guida Touring Sport, which reinterpreted an iconic supercar of the 1980s.
The official presentation of the new Daytona Shooting Brake Hommage took place in early July during several exclusive events in the UK. After a private studio presentation in London, the vehicle celebrated its world premiere on July 8, 2026, at the renowned Royal Automobile Club in Woodcote Park. The exclusive one-off was also showcased at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
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