The Bertone Runabout is a 469-HP Retro Wedge With Pop-Up Headlights

The sleek shape hides an uprated Lotus Exige chassis and powertrain, and just 25 examples will be produced.

You know those inspirational stories about folks who find their stride a little later in life? Well add the Bertone Runabout to the list. Initially a concept car way back in groovy 1969, the Runabout is back, and entering very limited production.

There are just a few noteworthy changes in the ensuing 57 years. The original Runabout employed a mid-ship, Aurelio Lampredi-designed Fiat engine, displacing a full 1.1 liters. The new model makes the switch to... a Toyota Camry V6. Not just any Camry V6, but the tweaked and supercharged version Lotus previously used in the Exige. In fact, the entire bonded aluminum chassis is from the Exige, but clothed in pretty (and pretty accurate) carbon fiber body parts. The curb weight is a Miata-like 2,330 pounds (1,057 kilograms), but with 469 horsepower, the Runabout should stay true to its name. A six-speed manual is the only transmission offered, sending power to just the rear wheels, which come wrapped in large 295/30 ZR19 tires. The fronts? Wholly modest 225/40 ZR18 rubber.

Bertone will offer the Runabout in two shapes. The Barchetta is the purest expression of the original design, with a chopped windshield and a complete lack of roof. Buyers wanting some semblance of weather-proofing can opt for the Targa and its removable carbon fiber roof.

Both body styles feature the same glorious wedge shape with an impossibly low nose. The wheelarches jut out of the main shape to such a degree that they nearly touch the central air vent. Slim pop-up headlights just peek out from above an even thinner strip of daytime running lights. Bertone has stayed remarkably loyal to the original design but some concessions needed to be made: a small intake ahead of the rear wheels for example, or skipping the wild, rollbar-mounted headlights of the 1969 concept. Hey, you can't win 'em all.

The tail features a panoply of venting and a classic coda tronca (cut tail) design, with two simple round taillights. A sizeable diffuser sits below a clever reinterpretation of the concept's four mini bumperettes; there are four outlets now, and the two central ones are the exhaust.

Inside, the Runabout borrows heavily from nautical design, with pared-back shapes, plenty of milled aluminum, and hand-finished leather. There's just one screen: a digital tachometer ahead of the driver. A gated manual shifter with exposed controls looks exceptional, and there's a nautical compass in the dashboard. Carbon-backed seats are art pieces on their own.

Bertone says customization will be a key part of the Runabout purchase process too—it's unlikely any two of the 25 models will be the same. Buyers can pick their own materials and colors, along with a matching set of Bertone-branded gloves and luggage made to fit the car.

If all this sounds expensive—well yes, of course it is. It's a coachbuilt sports car, after all. Bertone says pricing will start at €390,000 before taxes and applicable duties, which is roughly $463,000 at current exchange rates. Don't have that sort of coin right now? It's never too late to find your success.

Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.