Enzo Ferrari, Ferruccio Lamborghini, Horacio Pagani: all three launched brands that bore their name. Not being content with owning ATS (Automobili Turismo Sport), Gianluca Gregis wants to follow in their footsteps, thus he announced a new brand with his own family name.

“At forties it is time for everyone who wants design and built sports cars to launch his own car brand as many already did in the past time”, said Gregis. “Look at Pagani, I admire Horacio’s work and what he created in 20 years with his brand. He is now the benchmark for everyone in sports cars market. I want to do the same!”

Gregis Automobili will, initially, start producing the Leggera, a model that was designed for ATS before its re-launch in 2012 but was subsequently shelved. The Gregis Leggera will be available as a fully built car powered by a GM Turbo or a Honda Spoon engine, and in some markets such as the US and the UK in kit form, with a starting price of €14,950 (US$18,500).

Later, a Junior version powered by a130hp 1,6-liter Ford unit will join the range, and the company is already in talks with two partners for an all-electric Leggera EV with an 100-130 Kw powertrain and a 300-500 km range at half the price of the Tesla Roadster.

The big news, though, is an all-new project that’s already being developed and is intended to pay tribute to the Italian roadsters of the 1950s and 1960s, such as the Lancia Aurelia B24 America.

Named the Miranda Roadster, it will feature a design reminiscent of those classics and old-school wire wheels, albeit at a very 21st-century 20-inch diameter.

Measuring 4.3 meters long and 2 meters wide, the Miranda Roadster will be powered by “modern V8 and V12 engines with at least 500hp” that, combined with a 1,100 kg curb weight, should suffice for a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration time of just 3.5 seconds.

The luxury roadster will cost around €130,000 (US$160,000) when it goes on sale in late 2015 in both left- and right-hand drive and with a choice of a manual or an auto transmission. It will come as standard with a foldable soft top, air conditioning, a navigation system, leather and wood finishing, a luggage compartment good enough for two golf club sets.

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