ATS->ke4870 first burst onto the scene in 2012 when it introduced the Sport 1000. The company then followed that up in early 2014 with a revised and renamed model called the ATS Sport. Now, ATS has a new model and, mercifully, it has a legitimate-sounding name. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the ATS Leggera.

The Leggera is another one of those retro-inspired sports roadsters->ke1418 that seem to be gaining even more popularity these days. But unlike the other retros, the Leggera doesn't really offer a lot for the amount of money you'll have to spend to buy one.

It looks completely mundane and the interior, while dressed in fancy Italian leather, really does bring you back to the days of bore..err, I mean yore.

The likely saving grace of the Leggera is its handling, something ATS consciously worked on to ensure that customers get a good ride, which leads me to believe that maybe a "good ride" is all this sports car->ke506 really offers.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2015 ATS Leggera.

2015 ATS Leggera

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2015 ATS Leggera
  • Segment: Array
  • Engine/Motor: inline-4
  • Horsepower: 210
  • Transmission: 6-speed sequentia
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

You’re not going to mistake the design of the ATS Leggera for anything other than a retro-styled roadster inspired by the halcyon days of the 1950's Italian open-top sports cars.

What’s disappointing about its appearance is that it looks too simple, even for its own retro standards. The Ant-Kahn Evanta Barchetta was similar in a lot of ways but at least that one had a more distinctive front end, whereas the Leggera looks like it just had its lunch money stolen from it.

It does have a stainless-steel, tubular-frame chassis, making it lightweight but still have that rigidity to keep it from completely falling off the rails. ATS also gets points for placing the roadster’s engine right smack in the front mid-center, a position that allows for an exact 50/50 weight distribution.

The ATS also has some are standard features that are worth taking note of. It’s got an aluminum fuel cap similar to the ones used in the 50s and 60s. Conversely, the standard LED rearlights and optional LED headlights and xenon headlights provide a nice splash of modern styling to the predominantly retro-inspired roadster.

ATS is also offering a set of 16-inch alloy wheels for the Leggera, although those can be changed in favor of a classic wire wheels set.

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Interior

The interior is what you’d expect from a retro-themed roadster. In so many words, it looks old, dated, and boring. But this is how ATS intended it to look like, so we’ll give it the benefit of the doubt.

We’ll also give the automaker credit for at least dressing up the interior with plenty of expensive materials, including the seats that are lined with Italian leather, the wooden steering wheel, and interior panels that can be colored depending on the customer’s preference.

Three-point seatbelts come standard on the ATS Sport, but customers can do away with that and instead opt for four-point seatbelts that are combined with lightweight, carbon seats. Another “by request” feature of the ATS Leggera is a full FIA-approved roll bar that ATS can fit into the car in lieu of the dual chrome roll bars that come standard.

Drivetrain

The ATS Leggera is surprisingly quick and powerful, something it can attribute to its 650-kg (1,322-pound) weight.

Still, I have to give appropriate credit to its turbocharged, GM-sourced, 1,598-cc, four-cylinder engine that produce 210 horsepower or 240 horsepower in the 300 and 365 Leggera models, respectively. Both versions mate to a five-speed manual transmission but you can swap that for a six-speed sequential transmission.

With these numbers, the Leggera 300 can hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and top out at 135 mph, while the 365 version hits 60 mph in four seconds and tops out at 145 mph.

Another variant of this model is the ATS 480 Super Leggera, which uses a GM-sourced, 1,598-cc, turbocharged engine that pumps out 300 horses. The transmission options are the same as the two base Leggeras. The extra ponies help get this model to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds and up to a top speed of 160 mph.

For a limited time, you can also snag the 420 Super Leggera SS with a Spoon-tuned, Honda F22C, 1,998-cc engine that puts out 280 ponies and mates to a six-speed manual gearbox. These 280 ponies head to a Spoon Sports limited-slip racing diff before heading out to the wheels. The Leggera SS sprints to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 160 mph. The Super Leggera SS is limited to just five units.

2015 ATS Leggera - Drivetrain Specifications

Model

Leggera 300

Leggera 365

420 Super Leggera SS

480 Super Leggera

Engine

GM 1,598-CC, 4-Cyl

GM 1,598-CC, 4-Cyl

Spoon-Modified, Honda F22C, 1,998-CC 4-Cyl

GM 1,598-CC, 4-Cyl

Output

210 HP

240 HP

280 HP

300 HP

Top Speed

135 MPH

145 MPH

160 MPH

160 MPH

Acceleration (0-60 MPH)

4.5 Sec.

4 Sec.

3.6 Sec.

3.3 Sec


Prices

The ATS Leggera is already available on the market with a starting price of about €30,000. That converts to around $41,000 as of 7/22/2014.

Competition

Ant-Kahn Evanta Barchetta

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We've already detailed some of the design differences between the ATS Leggera and the Ant-Kahn Evanta Barchetta. But if you make us pick a winner, we'll go with that latter.

The Evanta is also a lot more powerful than the Leggera, producing 450 horsepower from its Chevy-sourced LS3 engine. That's double what the Leggera is capable of.

But the basis of this comparison is more about looks than performance. In that regard, the Leggera and the Evanta Barchetta fall on the same level. Its just that one -- the Ant-Kahn model -- looks a little more sophisticated than the other.

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Trident Iceni Grand Tourer

The Trident Iceni Grand Tourer is another retro-inspired roadster that's not going to win any design awards either. To its credit, it does have a more shapely body built to look the part of a modern-day roadster.

On top of that, the Iceni Grand Tourer has a sizable edge in power, thanks to its 6.6-liter, turbo-diesel engine that produces 430 horsepower and a staggering 950 pound-feet of torque. That allows the sports car to hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds to go with a top speed of 200 mph.

Here's the thing: the Leggera may get lapped up in the long haul, but its low weight can at least sprint to 60 mph competitively.

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Conclusion

We admire ATS' attempt at developing a retro-themed roadster. It shows some serious passion and courage to build a car that probably won't sell the way ATS would want it to. Unfortunately, it just doesn't bring much to the table.

Other than its mundane appearance, another problem we have is its $41k starting price.