Venturi Cars

Venturi cars are made by MVS, a French car maker. The original Manufacture de Voitures de Sport made mid-engine, very high performance sports cars, most notably the Venturi Atlantique, until it was forced to declare bankruptcy in 2000. Venturi was bought out in 2001, and it is now headquartered in Monaco, building a limited number of electric cars.

The first Venturi made its debut in 1984, having been created by Gerard Godfroy and Claude Poiraud (former Heuliez engineers). Godfroy and Poiraud's goal was to create a French car that could hold its own against the Bugatti, the Ferrari and the Porsche. The original Venturi headquarters were in Pays-de-Loire, and the company made just 700 cars in two decades. From about 1985 to the mid-90s, Venturi crafted mid-engine roadsters and coupes, all having Renault transmissions and PRV power plants.

To meet the requirements for racing homologation, there was a limited-edition 400GTR built and raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Venturi Cars was also involved for a short time with the F1 team of Larousse. That team's 1992 vehicle was built by Venturi Larousse UK.

The 400GT has the distinction of being one of the highest-performing French cars ever built, and the Atlantique 400GT V6's performance was on par with Ferrari's offerings of the 90s. That car could go from 0-60 in just under 5 seconds and had a top speed of 181 mph. Competition has brought more fame to the Venturi brand, thanks to the achievements of Stephane Ratel, who created the Venturi Gentlemen Driver's Trophy. Venturi Cars has also enjoyed great performance in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, especially with Jacques Lafitte, Christophe Dechevanne and Paul Belmondo.

Venturi established its racing pedigree further in the Global GT Series, where the car maker defeated Ferrari and Porsche on more than one occasion. In 2001, millionair Gildo Pallanca Pastor bought Venturi Cars, and decided to turn its focus from racing to the building of electric cars. The most recent models are the Eclectic, the Astrolab and the Fetish.