If you’re an American sports car lover (and of a patriotic orientation), the Panoz Esperante in general, and the Spyder GT in particular will surely tickle your fancy.
It’s the kind of car that relies on nationally-sourced parts and expertise and while not into big volume production, still around some 24 years after its creation.
With over 600 cars built since 1990, Panoz is somewhat of a prolific boutique(-ish) manufacturer and the Esperante Spyder GT is currently their crowning glory.
We went into detail about the model, which will be made in a limited series of 25, and said it could be had with a wide range of GM- and Ford-sourced engines, as well as either a six-speed manual or paddle-operated self-shifter.
Jay Leno recently got a chance to get behind the wheel of what is currently the only Spyder GT in existence – it’s a prototype. He was joined at his garage by company founder Don Panoz, a man with a background in the pharmaceutical industry and part of the team that developed the original nicotine patch. He’s no car guy, but certainly proud of his achievement (and keen on naming colors…).