News Source: topspeed.com

If you haven’t heard of Ermini, you aren’t alone. After all, it isn’t like people casually mention it in the same breath as Ferrari  or Lamborghini  when they talk about Italian supercars  around the office water cooler. You might be surprised to learn, however, that they aren’t just a startup looking to make some pipe-dream millionaire’s toy. Ermini may not have been active for the last 50 years, but before it closed its doors in the early 1960s, it had quite a history of racing success.

Now, in 2014, they’re back with the Seiottosei, a two-seat roadster  that weighs in at only 686 kg (1,512 pounds). Ermini claims that the Seiottosei’s inspiration comes from the Barchetta  roadsters that were popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Instead of going for big engines and lots of power, it keeps the focus on low weight, small engines, and driving dynamics. Thanks to this approach, Ermini claims that the Seiottosei’s fuel economy will be more in line with a family sedan’s than a typical sports car’s.

Anyone who’s interested in buying one needs to hurry up though, as only 46 examples will be produced.

As expected, the exterior design is a mix of modern cues and nods to the past. The front end is absolutely gorgeous. There’s definitely some Jaguar E-Type  mixed in there, and considering that the E-Type was one of the most iconic cars ever made, that’s far from a bad thing. Out back, the center exhaust is a nice touch as well.

The view in profile and from the back is less gorgeous, however, as form is forced to give way to function. Though several angles look a bit awkward, it’s clear that those design decisions were made to make the Seiottosei drive better, not because the designer had poor taste. It’s unfortunate, but for a car that will see all of its time on the racetrack, aesthetics sometimes have to be sacrificed. The focus on performance and handling carries over to the interior as well. A single digital display sits behind the steering wheel, but other than that, rest is spartan at best. The dash is simple, flat, and body color, while the center console is little more than exposed carbon fiber and a shift lever. If it wasn’t obvious from the exterior, this is a car that is meant for the track, not road-tripping down the highway.

The Ermini Seiottosei is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 300 horsepower. While that may not sound like a lot, keep in mind that those 300 horses have just 1,500 pounds to pull around. That means that the Seiottosei will run from 0 to 60 mph in fewer than 3.5 seconds. That certainly isn’t world-record-setting acceleration, but it’s absolutely mind-blowing for an inline-four.

The suspension is also claimed to be tuned for the race track, and with such a low weight, handling should be outstanding. Power will be routed to the wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox.

Prices have not been released yet, but expect them to spend quite a bit, as low volume track day cars don’t come cheaply.