Italian carmakers are always outdoing themselves with models that make the hearts of car enthusiasts skip a beat. But these sports cars are more made for the racetrack than for the street.
sports car with black horse: fast, faster, ferrari
Ferrari is probably the first brand that comes to mind when car fans think of italian sports cars. no wonder, because the successes on the racetrack have persisted and stand for the best quality work of the car manufacturer as well as all the specialists involved in the creation of this racer. the company was once founded by enzo ferrari (1947), but today the fiat group has taken over a big part of the company. There is a great variety of construction methods and there are models with mid-, front- or rear-engines as well as those that are based on 12 cylinders or even variants that only have six or eight cylinders.
Ferrari is probably the first brand that comes to mind when car fans think of italian sports cars.(#01)
Who else is there in italy?
The counter question should rather be: where should we start if we wanted to list the car manufacturers of italy?? There are countless manufacturers of sports cars that have been able to make a name for themselves worldwide. Among the top 3 italian car models, apart from the aforementioned vehicles with the black horse on a yellow background, are certainly the cars from lamborghini. Once this brand started its way in the car manufacturing as the production of tractors, which by the way are still coveted among collectors today. Today, the brand is no longer independent, but belongs to VW and audi.
worth mentioning is also the maserati quattroporte resp. The manufacturer itself. The company has a long tradition and has been known since 1914. Once founded in bologna, maserati began its triumphant advance in the world of motor racing. That was in the 1950s. Worldwide, the quattroporte and the biturbo models have sold particularly well. but today maserati also belongs to the fiat group.
We must not forget alfa romeo. This car manufacturer also belongs to fiat, but was completely independent until 1986. The cars are sporty and elegant, but look less like sports cars and more like racy street racers for everyday use. The "giulia", which has been relaunched in modern times, is now considered a classic, and the spider is also very popular as a roadster. These cars do not actually come from Italy, but have their roots in France. After a very negative development at this car manufacturer, things only started to look up again when the fiat group took over the company.
by the way: no matter which sports car you look at: all of them go at least 300 kilometers per hour or even faster!
Pogea racing: here, the purpose for which the tuning provider improves cars is already in the name (#02)
Buy italian sports cars
For most car fans, the sports cars from Italy remain a dream. The reason: they are simply far too expensive and often cost several hundred thousand euros. as a used car, such a car might be affordable, but if you have lost your heart to such a car, you will hardly want to buy a used car. Mostly it’s about getting this vehicle new and really being able to call it your own.
If you still want to fulfill your dream of driving, you can turn to one of the many providers of rental cars. Here, sometimes even exotic sports cars from Italy are offered, which then cost 100 euros or more for one or two hours of driving. However, the offers are very different and while some require a five-digit deposit, others are a little more lenient.
Important tip: be sure to check the insurance when renting a sports car! Because such a car, which reacts to the slightest movement of the foot with powerful acceleration, can cost you dearly in the event of damage. Especially since it is tempting to find out how fast the car can really go.
Nemesis: this alfa romeo also known under the name 4C also comes from pogea racing resp. benefits from their improvements and boasts 477 horsepower and up to 308 kilometers per hour.
Examples of current sports cars from italy
The following sports cars impress with their exterior as well as with their interior values, whereby for true car fans the latter are probably the more important ones.
- Pagani huayra
in san cesario sul panaro near modena there is a car manufacturer who knows how to impress with his small series. anyone who has ever sat in a pagani huayra will have felt as if they were driving a jet when it accelerates. The jet feeling is intentional on the part of the manufacturer and the name is derived from the deity of the wind. This car brand is moving with the times, because the first electric sports car is planned for 2025. This should once again draw attention to san cesario sul panaro! - Pogea racing
here the purpose for which the tuning provider improves cars is already in the name. Currently, the fplus corsa is particularly noteworthy and scores with 345 km/h top speed and an acceleration from zero to one hundred in 2.8 seconds. There are supposed to be at most twenty of this type of car, so that the owners would only make a small circle if they met. Important detail here is that there should be the full TuV for the car, a price, however, the manufacturer did not mention so far. also the thing with the used car might be difficult here: who gets hold of one of these cars, will not part with it again so soon! - Nemesis
this alfa romeo, also known under the name 4C, is also made by pogea racing resp. Benefits from their improvements and boasts 477 horsepower and up to 308 kilometers per hour. allegedly, the car needs only 3.6 seconds to go from zero to one hundred km/h. The car is made of full carbon fiber and has a fixed rear wing. inside the car is covered with alcantara and leather. A price does not exist yet, but it should be clear that this is very high to be settled. Because: only five of the nemesis will be built, whereby the first model has already found its new owner in australia.
488 GTB and 488 spider. The spider 488 is one of the two ferrari models that can boast 670 hp, as well as a carbon bodykit.(#04)
- 488 GTB and 488 spider
these two ferrari models come with 670 hp as standard and a carbon body kit. The car is larger than its predecessor and now measures 2.09 meters in width. Also new are the fixed rear wing, the black taillights and the diffuser. The V8 engine ensures that the standard performance is over. Instead, 772 hp and 892 newton meters are now available, resulting in a sprint time of 2.8 seconds. The top speed is 342 kilometers per hour. The new models will be produced in runs of just eleven units each. - Maserati
maserati, like ferrari’s new models, benefits from novitec’s services. The maserati levante SUV is twelve centimeters wider because it has been given a new body kit. Wider fenders, a front apron with spoiler blade, a new rear apron and a carbon hood scoop, which is now on the hood. The Y-spoke rims show how sporty the car really is and create a sporty image thanks to the different dimensions. The small diesel now has 301 hp, the big diesel 322 hp. The Levante S model, on the other hand, even comes with 494 hp! prices are here as always only on request.
The mazzanti evantra is considered a super sports car and was presented to the public for the first time in 2013.(#05)
- Abarth 500
pogea racing again had a hand in creating a sports car that is second to none. It’s not for nothing that the new model is called "ares. The model was once only equipped with 135 hp ex works. Four years and a huge development effort later, it already has 404 hp and 445 newton meters. In addition, seven different turbochargers and three injection systems were tested. The engine has been turned inside out (and back again) for the new performance and has actually been reworked in almost every place. Now there are forged pistons, an intercooler, a bigger turbo etc. Also an oil cooling system was integrated, so that from the small runabout a genuine sports car became. it accelerates from zero to one hundred in 4.7 seconds, which is slower than other sports cars (like the new mazzani evantra), but it is more of a sports car than a race car. For greater safety, there is a reinforced clutch and a transmission that can really cope with this performance. The good stuff costs 69.615 euros, which is a lot less than some other sports cars. - Centurion
another sports car for the street, which impresses with its race car look, is the centurion 002, which was completely renewed by pogea racing, but is very rare. It is limited to ten units and is also known as the alfa 4C. The aerodynamics are second to none! The rear and front aprons, as well as the rear spoiler and diffuser, were made of full carbon and adapted to the car. the power is now 319 hp and 455 newtonmeter. The transmission has been revised and shifts around 55 percent faster than the standard transmission. the car needs 3.8 seconds to accelerate to 100 km/h, after 14 seconds 200 km/h are reached. Top speed is 305 km/h.
Maserati, like ferrari’s new models, benefits from novitec performance. (#06)
- Mazzanti evantra
the mazzanti evantra is considered a super sports car and was presented to the public for the first time in 2013. The V8 car delivers 751 hp and 860 newton meters of torque. The sports car takes three seconds to accelerate from zero to one hundred km/h.
besides the evantra, of which only five cars are produced annually in pontedera, italy, there is also the evantra EV millcavalli, which was limited to only 25 pieces.
Photo credits:©shutterstock-title image: dimcars_-#01: rasta777 -#02: kaukola photography -#03: christopher lyzcen -#04: vanderwolf images -#05: cla78-#06: clari massimiliano
About the author
Marius beilhammer, born in 1969, studied journalism in bamberg, Germany. He has been writing for technical magazines for many years, and also works as a freelance author on a wide range of market and business topics. As a Franconian with a happy nature, he always finds the balance in his work between lightness and comprehensive know-how thanks to his pronounced affinity for technology.