An old name, a new V6: OSCA tries to come back through the British back door

© motor1.com

Italy may soon gain another sports car carrying a historic name on its bonnet. The OSCA brand, long absent from the radar of mainstream buyers, is being brought back by Massimo Di Risio — the founder of DR Automobiles, best known for adapting Chinese models for the European market.

The new OSCA has not yet been shown in production form: there are only early sketches and word that a coupe is in development. According to Motor1, the project is expected to draw on Lotus Emira hardware, including its supercharged V6. If that proves true, the bet won't be on electric shock and outrageous power, but on a more classical recipe: a mid-engined layout, a living combustion motor and a lightweight body wrapped in an Italian shell.

For OSCA, this is a sensible path. Building a brand-new sports car from scratch is prohibitively expensive even for a strong company, while a ready Lotus base gets you to a real car faster, instead of stalling at the level of a pretty render. The Emira itself is already a rare bird: a petrol coupe of the old school in an age of hybrids, EVs and heavy super-SUVs.

The real question is something else — whether OSCA can become more than yet another low-volume project for collectors. A historic name helps draw attention, but buyers in this class look at weight, sound, handling, build quality and price. The Italian legend alone is not enough: nearby sit Porsche, Alpine, Maserati, Lotus and used Ferraris, all with a track record people already know.

Either way, the trend is interesting: while big brands move into electrification and crossovers, niche outfits are trying to sell what is becoming scarce — a compact petrol coupe with character.

OSCA isn't returning at the easiest moment. But it's precisely now that the old school has a chance to look not outdated, but rare.