Watch out, sports car fans, as there’s a new automaker on the block: Italian company Automobili Mignatta has unveiled the Rina, its first car and a gorgeous roadster with 1960s styling and a modern V8 to power it.
The Rina chassis is made from a material called carbon monocoque, which a frame created from individual strands of carbon fiber that is most often seen in high-end road bikes, and which makes the car highly rigid while still being lightweight.
With a weight of just 2,205 lbs, the Rina should move at quite a clip, though the exact details of the naturally aspirated 5.0 liter US V8 engine haven’t been announced yet. It has rear-wheel drive, and an option for carbon ceramic brakes, with 19 inch wheels at the front and 20 inches at the rear.
The monocoque material is formed into a tub shape which integrates the driver and passenger seats, and the company says it has been optimized for both easy access to the passenger compartment and safety in the case of an accident. And the striking exterior recalls the classic Italian sports cars of the 60s, with its elongated headlights and open-top design.
The interior has similar classic styling to the exterior, and though it’s all very neat you won’t find any modern infotainment systems here. Instead, there’s a stripped down but elegant analog look, with no digital screens or support for modern conveniences like CarPlay.
There are old-fashioned gauges with a speedometer in the center and a tachometer in an elliptical look, with aluminum and carbon materials in abundance. And to continue the interior materials theme, the seats are made of — what else — branded brown leather.
As you’d expect from a niche car hand built in Italy, the Rina doesn’t come cheap, with just 30 units to be built each year and a reported price starting at $290,000.
