Attractive 4 Cylinder

Even with a 4-cylinder, the ATS 2500 GT is worthy of its Italian sports car lineage

 

It’s hard to say no to another Italian sports car, and Automobili Turismo e Sport (ATS) is exploiting that weakness with yet another new model.

 

The company unveiled a retro roadster called the 300 Leggera last fall, and it’s following that up with the 2500 GT, which revives the name of the first production ATS from 1963.

 

Yes, ATS has a little more history than the average sports-car startup. The original 2500 GT was one of the first mid-engined cars sold to the public, and was meant to compete with the Ferraris of its day. However, the 2500 GT wasn’t very successful on the track, and with only a handful of production models made, it didn’t make a sales splash either.The modern-day 2500 GT is just as mid-engined as before, although that layout isn’t as unique as it was in the ’60s. The styling is a bit generic but handsome. It reminds this writer of the Lotus Evora, with a little Ferrari F430 thrown in.

However, instead of a V8, the 2500 GT is powered by a 2.5-liter boxer-four. ATS did not specify the power output, but at least the number in the car’s name makes sense. Motivating force is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission and a mechanical limited-slip differential.
The car itself weighs just 2,200 pounds, with the carbon fiber body accounting for just 154 of those. That light weight should make ATS’ claimed 0 to 60 mph time of 3.3 seconds and top speed of 185 mph very attainable.

Pricing and availability haven’t been announced yet, but as with most startup sports cars, it’s probably best not to clear a space in your garage just yet. It takes more than renderings and impressive performance figures to produce a car, even for a company with the pedigree of ATS.