The landlocked European country of Switzerland is famous for many things: for years, its banks were a favorite among the wealthiest in the world, its mountain ranges provide some of the best ski slopes in Europe, and its picturesque countryside scenery is a perennial favorite among travel vloggers and Instagram influencers. However, the Swiss car industry is certainly not one of its most famous assets.
But, just because it’s not that well known, doesn’t mean it’s not there. In fact, in recent years, there have been a number of exciting sports car projects coming out of Switzerland. Couple those with the handful of classic sports car manufacturers that hail from the country, and you get a small, but fascinating sports car industry. Swiss carmakers have produced everything from cutting-edge EV hypercars to classic Italian-styled grand tourers and plenty more in between. Let’s take a look at ten of their coolest sports cars.
10 Leblanc Caroline GTR
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Most gearheads will probably have never heard of Leblanc, but at one point the small sports car company had big plans. The Caroline GTR debuted in 1999 with a mid-mounted V8 engine that made 512 hp and could push the car up to a top speed of 212 mph.
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Despite its race-ready looks, the car is fully road legal and was sold in Europe for a number of years before Leblanc decided it wanted to enter the US market. Unfortunately, in trying to do so, the company ran out of cash, eventually having to liquidate the company.
9 Morand Hypercar
The rather unimaginatively named Morand Hypercar is, like its name suggests, the first hypercar to come out of Switzerland, and it’s reportedly due to enter production in 2023. It will reportedly feature a V10 engine and three electric motors to make a combined power output of 1,200 hp in its initial configuration.
A second, fully-electric version is reportedly planned, with around 2,000 hp on tap. The car was initially revealed in May 2021 and the company has promised that a fully-functional prototype will be shown off by the end of 2022. Of course, it’s always worth being cynical when a car is only shown off in render form, but if Morand can get the project off the ground, it should make for an exciting new addition to the growing field of electric hypercars.
8 Rinspeed Squba
Rinspeed is an oddball carmaker best known for creating some of the weirdest concepts and prototypes to ever hit the auto show circuit. One of its coolest creations has to be the Squba, a heavily-modified Lotus Elise that’s built to be driven underwater as well as on the road.
It features a combination of electric motors, water jets, and screw propellors to allow it to drive both on land and underwater. Unfortunately, the car remained a one-off and never went into production, likely due to the sky-high development costs that would have made the car prohibitively expensive for customers.
7 Monteverdi High Speed 375/S
Luxury and sports carmaker Monteverdi made a series of performance cars under the “High Speed” name throughout the Sixties and Seventies, but the 375/S has to be one of the best. It featured a Chrysler big-block V8 under the hood and styling by Frua, an Italian design house.
Each car was hand-built, and Bonhams reports that “strictly limited numbers” were produced, although it’s unclear exactly how many. The car was popular among US buyers, but new legislation brought about by the energy crisis in the Seventies effectively killed off the car.
6 Elextra EV
A four-door, four-wheel drive electric supercar, the Elextra EV aims to take on the Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan, although it’s not clear exactly when the company plans to do that, as production was first slated for 2019, and has been pushed back ever since.
There’s still no concrete production date as of the time of writing, but it’s worth noting that a certain Mr. Elon Musk was also notorious for pushing back production dates, so perhaps there’s hope left for the Elextra yet. If it does make it to customers, the Elextra promises 671 hp and a 0-60 time of just 2.3 seconds.
5 Kyburz E-Rod
For anyone who thinks that a Caterham or an Ariel Atom is a bit too heavy, Swiss startup Kyburz have just the thing. Debuting in 2016, the E-Rod is a road-legal EV sports car that weighs just 530 kg (1,168 lb) in its lightest form.
It has a range of around 137 miles and 201 hp in top-spec form, more than enough for something so light. The price for the E-Rod varies dramatically depending on what battery pack is optioned, with the base car costing just €30,000 ($31,630), but the top-spec version costing a whopping €97,500 ($102,800).
4 Picasso PS-01
The newest sports car from Picasso Automobili is the PS-01, a 600 hp track day toy that weighs just 1,984 lbs. Aerodynamics was reportedly the most important factor in shaping the bodywork, which presumably explains its questionable looks.
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It might not be the best-looking Swiss sports car, but it’s certainly one of the fastest, and to keep all four corners firmly gripping the asphalt, Picasso partnered with Pirelli to develop tires specifically for the car. It seems like the Middle East is Picasso’s primary target market, as the car made its public debut at the Pirelli P Zero Experience at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi in early 2022.
3 Rinspeed Σtos
At first glance, this Rinspeed one-off might look like a relatively normal sports car, but of course it isn’t, because Rinspeed never make normal cars. It features an autonomous driving capability and a steering wheel that disappears into the dashboard on demand, to provide more room for passengers when the car is in autonomous mode.
It also has a rear-mounted DJI drone that, according to Rinspeed’s website, can “quickly pick up a bouquet of flowers for the significant other ordered on the way home”. It might be a fairly pointless innovation, but it’s a cool one nonetheless.
2 Piëch GT
Many startups debut with bold claims and not much to back them up, but Piëch Automotive is a little different. The Swiss firm was founded by Toni Piëch, son of the late VW Group chairman Ferdinand Piëch, who was himself the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, founder of Porsche AG. So, it’s fair to say that the startup has better industry connections than most.
The brand’s first car, the GT, is currently in testing, and is set to be launched in mid-2024. It’s powered by three electric motors that reportedly generate around 600 hp, and features next-gen battery technology that promises to reduce charging times drastically from current standards. It seems like Piëch Automotive is in a better position to succeed than most startups, and it may well be a name to look out for in the future.
1 Monteverdi Hai 650 F1
The Hai 650 F1 was a last attempt at reviving his dormant company by founder Peter Monteverdi, but ultimately it was unsuccessful. Three cars were reportedly built, and a few customer orders were taken, but it seems that Monteverdi ran out of money before being able to complete those cars.
Development was carried out between 1992 and 1995, and the car itself was highly impressive, with a 649 hp Ford V8 that could push the car to a claimed top speed of 208 mph. Unfortunately, this would be the last hurrah for the once-thriving Monteverdi car company, as its founder would pass away just a few years later in 1998.
