You know what the world needs more of? Italian sportscars. Not because the existing ones made by the likes of Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and Pagani aren't good enough. Precisely the opposite: because we love them so much we want to see more of them. Thankfully there are some new (or rather, old) Italian automakers getting back into the game. Last week it was Ermini with its upcoming new 686 roadster, and now comes word that Automobili Turismo e Sport (ATS) is staging a comeback.

For those unfamiliar, ATS was an automaker formed by disgruntled former Ferrari employees in the early/mid 1960s. Aside from a brief and ill-fated foray into F1 with Phil Hill, ATS built essentially one roadgoing sportscar. The ATS 2500 GT packed a 2.5-liter V8 mounted in the middle of a body cloaked by Michelotti. Only 12 were made and few remain in existence, but a new venture aims to bring it back to the street. The new 2500 GT is set to be built around a tubular chassis with carbon-fiber bodywork and a four-cylinder turbo engine tuned by Cosworth to deliver as much as 550 horsepower.

With a curb weight targeted at 1,000 kg (2,200 lbs), the neo-2500 ought to be one fast little machine. A more track-focused (though still street-legal) Sport 1000 model is expected to follow, powered by a motorcycle engine in similar fashion to the Radical SR3. Suzuki Hayabusa, Yamaha R1, Honda CBR and MV Agusta are all said to be in the running to provide motivation. We'll be watching to see how this development develops.