2026 Bertone Runabout: 475 HP, Lotus-Based Revival of Gandini’s Icon

2026 Bertone Runabout: 475 HP, Lotus-Based Revival of Gandini’s Icon

More than 50 years after Marcello Gandini’s visionary Autobianchi A112 Runabout concept stunned Turin, it has finally returned. And this time, it’s real.

Meet the Bertone Runabout not just a tribute car, but a modern resurrection of one of the most beautiful Italian concepts ever drawn.

Now in production, the Runabout is no longer a dream confined to sketches. It’s a roaring, rear-wheel-drive, hand-built masterpiece born from passion, precision, and pure wedge-shaped madness.

The first glimpse was raw: a roofless barchetta with zero windshield, harking back to the original 1969 vision.

Now, Bertone reveals the second chapter: a targa version, featuring:

• A full-height windshield
• A removable carbon-fiber roof panel

Both preserve the iconic profile low, sharp, and impossibly sleek but the targa adds usability without sacrificing style. Because sometimes, driving perfection means staying dry.

2026 Bertone Runabout: 475 HP, Lotus-Based Revival of Gandini’s Icon

Forget donor cars. The new Runabout isn’t based on any existing model. Instead, Bertone built an all-new extruded and bonded aluminum chassis, sourced from a specialized supplier and fully customized in-house.

Then came the weight-saving magic:

• Carbon-fiber body panels throughout 
• Final curb weight: just 2,330 lbs (1,057 kg)

That’s lighter than many modern coupes and nearly on par with a Mazda Miata. Yet, unlike the Miata, this car sits at just 43.9 inches tall lower than a Lamborghini Huracán. At 157 inches long, it matches the Miata in footprint but its proportions scream supercar.

Staggered forged aluminum wheels complete the stance:

• 18-inch front with 225/40 ZR18 tires
• 19-inch rear wrapped in wide 295/30 ZR19 rubber

Wide at the hips, narrow up front a true Gandini wedge.

While the chassis draws inspiration from Lotus engineering principles, the engine comes from another legend: Toyota. But don’t expect economy. Nestled behind the seats is a supercharged 3.5-liter V6 derived from the familiar unit found in Lexus performance models, but heavily modified.

Output?

• 475 horsepower
• 361 lb-ft (490 Nm) of torque

All routed to the rear wheels through a six-speed close-ratio manual transmission complete with a classic gated shifter that begs to be rowed. This is analog joy, amplified.

Performance numbers are serious:

• 0–62 mph (100 km/h): 4.1 seconds
• Top speed: 168 mph (270 km/h)

For context: faster than a Porsche 718 Cayman GTS and built entirely by hand.

2026 Bertone Runabout: 475 HP, Lotus-Based Revival of Gandini’s Icon

On track or open road, the Runabout delivers razor-sharp dynamics.

Key hardware includes:

• Double-wishbone suspension front and rear
• Adjustable dampers
• Tuned anti-roll bars

Developed for balance and feedback, every bump and corner is communicated directly to the driver no numbness, no filters. Just like Gandini intended.

Visually, the Runabout is unmistakably Gandini:

• Razor-edged fenders
• Flat planes and geometric creases
• A sharply raked windshield
• Hidden headlights (now LED units)

It pays direct homage not only to the A112 Runabout concept but also to its spiritual successor the Fiat X1/9, which brought Gandini’s wedge into series production. The barchetta remains the purist’s choice closest to the original. But the targa proves you can add a roof without losing the soul. Even the removable carbon top was sculpted to maintain the iconic wedge silhouette because form must follow function.

Let’s be clear:

You won’t see these on city streets. Bertone will build only 25 examples worldwide. Each one will cost €390,000 (~$462,000 USD) before taxes, duties, or optional extras.

Yes, that’s more than a new 911 GT3 RS. But this isn’t mass-produced.

It’s Italian art on wheels.

And for collectors who value lineage, rarity, and design legacy?

There’s nothing else like it.

The Runabout marks Bertone’s second modern vehicle, following the GB110 a twin-turbo V10 hypercar based on the same platform as the Lamborghini Huracán and Audi R8. But where the GB110 looked forward, the Runabout looks back. It honors the past not with nostalgia, but with evolution.

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