If you've never heard of it, then you're in good company, as even the geekiest of car geeks would struggle to name a car built by Italian carmaker Ermini. That's because the Florentine automaker went off radar half a century ago, but will soon be making a spectacular comeback with a sports car dubbed the 686. The obscure racing team is set to be revived when the Ermini 686 - a mid-engined, all-wheel drive sports car built on a tubular space frame - launches in 2013.

The design incorporates all the usual performance-car goodies, including competition-spec brakes, transmission and shocks. Carbon fiber will almost certainly be used on the bodywork to keep things at low weight. Giuilio Cappellini and the Ermini Design Team are responsible for the styling of the car's body, and from these initial pictures inspiration seems to have come from the brand's iconic 357 model range that raced the Mille Miglia back in the Fifties. No powertrain details were announced, but Ermini's engineers have reportedly optimized fuel economy and emissions to keep the 686 lean and mean.