A Forgotten Italian Automaker Is Back With A New Sports Car

Italian sports-car marque Osca is reviving under the leadership of DR Automobiles founder Massimo Di Risio, with a new rear-wheel-drive two-seat coupe in development. Early sketches and teaser images reveal a design by Italdesign, featuring aggressive proportions, muscular fenders, and classic performance-car styling cues. The new coupe is strongly rumored to be based on the Lotus Emira, sharing its supercharged V6 engine—rated at 400 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque—mated to a six-speed manual transmission and driving the rear wheels. Osca has confirmed a partnership with a European automaker and the use of a supercharged V6, with Lotus (owned by China’s Geely Group) the most likely partner given its exclusive use of the engine in the Emira. DR Automobiles has a history of collaborating with Asian manufacturers, but the company’s emphasis on a “European” partner points toward Lotus. The teaser images show a front fascia with a large grille flanked by round headlights, short overhangs, and a focus on aerodynamics. While Osca originally built its reputation on sports cars and even competed in Formula 1, the brand’s revival under Di Risio is not solely focused on SUVs—executives teased the new sports coupe alongside the MT6, a compact coupe-style SUV. Official details remain scarce, but all signs suggest the new Osca coupe will be a flagship model built on Lotus Emira underpinnings, blending old-school mechanicals with modern Italdesign styling.