The Coolest Cars You've Never Heard Of

May 3, 2009— -- With its exposed wheels and aerodynamic styling, the Tramontana sports car makes a bold statement among automobile cognoscenti. Only 12 people a year get the privilege of owning one of these Spanish dynamos. Street legal, it can zip from zero to 62 miles per hour in less than four seconds.

Needless to say, it will get you noticed.

Click here for more on the coolest cars you've never heard of at our partner site, Forbes.com.

"Only a handful of lucky people can get this car," says Wes Brown, a principal analyst for the market-research firm Iceology in Los Angeles. Owning such an icon, notes Brown, is like "being in a rarefied, special club."

For car fanatics without the patience to endure the eight months it takes to make it to the top of the Tramontana waiting list, we offer one (admittedly small) consolation: a list of the coolest cars you've never heard of.

Either way, consider this a walk through the lesser-known corners of the motoring world.

Our rundown of obscure but cool autos spans the globe, with cars from Zeewolde, The Netherlands; Bairo, Italy; Wetzikon, Switzerland; and Shanghai, China, among other locales, making the cut. We included only modern-day cars like the Sypker C8 Aileron from Holland, and we discounted limited-edition or rare-trim models on well-known cars made by well-known brands (like Mercedes-Benz affiliate AMG or Ford's Shelby mustangs).

Some entries on our list, like the tiny plug-in electric Mitsubishi iMiev, are set for mass production in the U.S. in the near future. Likely price tag: $30,000.

Others, like the aristocratic Pininfarina Hyperion and muscle-bound Saleen S7, are exquisitely redesigned or hyper-souped-up versions of mainstream vehicles. Consider these two models only if you have a fat wallet. The Saleen S7 sells for $550,000 and up, while the Pininfarina Hyperion has a price tag in the seven figures (depending on where it goes up at auction).

Despite being featured in the 2003 movie Bruce Almighty, the Troy, Mich.-made S7 has remained relatively unknown among car buyers. For those who have had the good fortune to get a live gander at the lizard-like supercar, the experience is unforgettable.