In recent decades we witnessed the rebirth of many brands that have been disbanded more than 50 years ago. Bugatti->ke16 and Maybach->ke52 are the most well-known examples, but smaller ventures such as ATS (Automobili Turismo e Sport) have returned under new ownership as well. The latter was established by former Ferrari->ke252 employees Carlo Chiti and Giotto Bizzarrini as a sports car->ke506 constructor and racing team in 1963. ATS disappeared in 1965 and returned in 2012 with a new lineup of sports cars. After launching the Sport 1000 in 2012 and its updated Sport sibling in 2014, ATS is introducing the 490 Stradale.

As the name suggests, the 490 Stradale is a road-legal version of the company's entry-level race car,->ke148 and the second modern-day road-going ATS after the retro-styled 300 Leggera.->ke4901 Although eligible for road use, the 490 Stradale is very similar to its race-spec sibling, with the two sharing the same body and most of their internals. It's not the most beautiful or the powerful sports car ever built, but ATS' objective was to build a no-nonsense racer for the road. Needless to say, it succeeded, as the 490 Stradale is as fast as a Ferrari.

Click past the jump to read more about the ATS Sport 490 Stradale.

Exterior

Compared to the race-bred ATS Sport, the 490 Stradale comes with mild visual updates. Body upgrades are actually limited to features required to register the vehicle for legal road use, and include front and rear full light kits a new set of wheels and a tow-hook delete. Granted, the new light units are rather basic and do not help improve the ATS Sport's radical appearance, but they will help enthusiasts register the Stradale for road use in certain markets. The wheels, on the other hand, are very similar to those seen on the race car, but the rim design is a tad simpler. The new rollers are likely to help decrease the race car's €33,000 ($38,148 as of 10/27/2014) base sticker.

As for the Martini colors adorning the example show above, the livery is not offered as a standard feature. However, the car's white body is the perfect base for any historic livery that may tickle your fancy.

Interior

The car's cockpit has been enhanced as well, but don't expect anything fancy. The 490 Stradale's interior remains as stripped out as the ATS Sport's, with only a hand-brake lever added as new gear. Customers will also be able to drive the car backward thanks to a new reverse gear. Other than that, the 490 Stradale is equipped with the basic gear you need at the track, such as lightweight seats with multi-point harnesses, a fire extinguisher, and a roll cage.

Drivetrain

Unlike the ATS Sport, the 490 Stradale comes with only one engine. The company picked the mid-range, 1.4-liter four-banger that motivates the race car and detuned it to deliver 235 horsepower. That's a whopping 90 ponies less than the race-prepped engine, but the unit is powerful enough to send the Stradale flying from naught to 62 mph in three seconds flat. Top speed sits at only 143 mph; not exactly mind-blowing, but these lightweight, no-nonsense sports cars excel in terms of acceleration and maneuverability rather than record-setting speeds.

Its lightning-fast acceleration is partly thanks to the vehicle's low curb weight, which sits at only 1,100 pounds. This makes the 490 Stradale one of the lightest road-legal vehicles you can buy nowadays.

Suspension

Albeit a street-legal vehicle, the 490 Stradale is always ready to hit the track. The vehicle is fully equipped with anything you need for a safe and fun-filled weekend at the race course, but ATS is providing further options if you're looking to take things up a notch. Track-day upgrades include TTX Ohlins dampers for improved cornering and a Tarox 280 brake kit to come to a halt a little bit quicker. A 2.2-to-1 ratio steering rack and Avon CR500 semi-slick tires have their own check boxes on the options list.

Prices

No pricing is available as of this writing, but we do know the race car starts from €33,000 ($38,148 as of 10/27/2014) and that the 490 Stradale shouldn't be too far from that. Either way, we'll be back as soon as we have the numbers.

Competition

Caterham Seven 620R

When it comes to lightweight vehicles that can be used on both the street and the track, the Caterham Seven is the car to beat. This little roadster has been around for more than half a century and it has inspired companies such as Ariel and KTM to develop their own track rockets. The 620R is the company’s most-extreme version to date, being the lightest and most powerful Seven ever created.

Rated at 311 horsepower and 219 pound-feet of torque, the 2.0-liter Ford Duratec engine is powerful enough to push the 1,200-pound sports car from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds and up to a top speed of 155 mph. That's mighty fast for a vehicle as little and simple as the Seven and a huge threat for Ferraris and Lamborghinis on the track. Pricing for the 620R begins from £49,995, which converts to $80,600 as of 10/27/2014.

Ariel Atom 3S

The Atom 3S is the latest development of Ariel's already familiar sports car. Although not as powerful as the limited-edition V-8, the 3S has more ponies than anything Caterham has to offer. The British machine comes with a turbocharged, 2.4-liter Honda engine rated at 365 horsepower that delivers a 0-to-60-mph sprint of 2.8 seconds and a quarter-mile run of 10.7 seconds. Those are supercar figures right there.

Much like the Caterham 620R, the 3S only differs slightly from its siblings. Minor visual tweaks include F1-style pods for the intercoolers, an optional windscreen and new colors options. New transmission choices and chassis upgrades are also on the table, but they come with hefty increases in terms of pricing. While the naturally aspirated Atom 3 starts from $64,500, the 3S fetches at least $89,975.

Conclusion

The Sport 490 Stradale is a much-needed addition to ATS' lineup of no-nonsense sports car. ATS now has a proper, road-legal vehicle to throw at the Ariel Atom and the Caterham Seven in a market that has increasingly competitive over the last decade. Sure, ATS doesn't have the historical appeal of a Seven or the power of an Atom, but it carries a more affordable sticker. It costs half the amount needed for either of the two, and if you don't care that much about history or looks, the 490 Stradale is a safe bet.