Watch out, Ferrari: Italian rival ATS rumbles back to life with the 2500 GT supercar

By Ronan Glon April 16, 2015

Recently brought back from the dead, Italy’s ATS has announced plans to introduce a new supercar dubbed 2500 GT at the Top Marques show that opens its doors today in Monaco.

We should provide a little bit of background information before we go any further. In 1962, a handful of Ferrari employees that had been fired by Enzo himself joined forces and started a new company called ATS, an acronym that stood for Automobili Turismo Sport. Boldly determined to fight head-to-head against Ferrari, the company developed a powerful coupe called 2500 GT that was presented at the 1962 edition of the Geneva Motor Show. ATS quickly found itself in dire financial straits and it managed to build just 15 examples of the GT before shutting down in 1964.

Over 50 years later, ATS is back and it is ready to fire a second shot at Ferrari. The 21st century 2500 GT takes the form of a retro-inspired two-seater coupe that can be built either on a tubular frame or on a carbon fiber monocoque. Either way, the GT tips the scale at a hair over 2,000 pounds in its lightest configuration thanks to body panels crafted out of carbon fiber.

The coupe pays homage to the original 2500 GT with design cues like elongated headlights, a fastback-like silhouette, a truncated rear end and round tail lamps. Pictures of the interior have not been published yet but ATS promises the retro-styled treatment continues in the cabin with a back-to-the-basics dashboard devoid of all superfluous equipment and a Nardi steering wheel.

Technical details are a little murky. ATS says the 2500 GT is powered by a 90-degree naturally-aspirated V8 engine that makes over 640 horsepower at 10,000 rpm but it has not revealed the mill’s origins. The company boldly promises that the GT can reach 62 mph from a stop in just 2.9 seconds and reach a top speed of over 211 mph.

Power is sent to the rear wheels via either a six-speed manual transmission or an optional sequential unit. Six-piston Brembo front calipers bring the action to a stop but, oddly enough, the GT is not fitted with ABS.

ATS will reveal pricing information and availability in the coming days.

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Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

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