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In recent decades we witnessed the rebirth of many brands that have been disbanded more than 50 years ago. Bugatti and Maybach 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 employees Carlo Chiti and Giotto Bizzarrini as a sports car 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, and the second modern-day road-going ATS after the retro-styled 300 Leggera. 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.
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 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.
As for the Martini colors adorning the example shown, 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.
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.
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.
Its lightning-fast acceleration is partly thanks to the vehicle’s low curb weight, which sits at only 499 kg. This makes the 490 Stradale one of the lightest road-legal vehicles you can buy nowadays.
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 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.
