Out of the office and into adventure — together with a few friends, we set off for the legendary Bernina Gran Turismo and tested the RC12 from Rico Customs in the mountains.
Legends have been racing up the Bernina Pass since 1930. Then the sound of engines fell silent on the mountain, but a few years ago it returned. Where motorsport and nature become one: on the historic Bernina Pass Road. The beauty of this event is that it is not an artificial spectacle, but a gathering of genuine enthusiasts and a real driving experience — between glaciers, curves, and the raw power of the mountains in the Engadin next to St. Moritz.
It's no secret that we spend a lot of time driving our cars in the mountains and know exactly what matters. No frills, just reliability in all weather conditions and at all altitudes. For many years, we have been driving to one of Europe's most iconic mountain pass races. This year, we borrowed the RC12 from Rico Customs and put it through its paces.
If you are looking for a mountain tool,
you should call Rico Customs.
– Mo
First things first, we love our 1965 SWB and our 964 — and yes, we are not G-model fans, but what Rico and his team are building has nothing to do with what a classic G-model stands for. Everything we've been missing so far comes together in his cars, transforming what we thought were boring 1980s sports cars into real mountain machines that perform anywhere.
We are proud to say that we have known Rico since he built his first car. We have watched the entire development and accompanied him as friends. Now that the cars even inspire former Formula One drivers to be among his customers, we finally had to test one of his cars behind the wheel on our terrain.
The five of us, with a 996 GT3, two 964s, a G model, and the RC12, headed for the mountains with Bernina GT as our destination. We raced across Jonas' (@mrjonesmiller) homeland, driving the car in all situations and on all of Switzerland's iconic mountain passes. To put it in a nutshell, we didn't miss a thing. The workmanship, balance, handling, and performance left nothing to be desired.
Of course, like everything else, it's a matter of taste. Do you want a backdate or not? Should it be an ST for the road, or would you prefer an RS or even an RSR? What used to be considered derogatory has now become an integral part of automotive culture—and the way Rico implements it has set a benchmark in the scene. Modern chassis and engine components paired with iconic 1970s design.
What we like is that there are no frills or price-driving visual parts, but rather a further development based on the idea behind these vehicles and an eye for implementation that perfectly captures the spirit of the times and the aspiration to move these vehicles like the proverbial nail on the head.
We will examine one of his next creations even more closely so that we can tell you more about it, and we will take it with us on all Sickalps tours for a season. That's what you have to put up with when you're looking for a real mountain tool.
Visit our friend www.rico-customs.com
