This Supercharged 2001 Qvale Mangusta Looks Awesome, But There Is One Major Downside

Photo: Cars & Bids

If you’re in the market for a convertible sports car, the Miata is, of course, always the answer. What if you crave a little more power and a lot more torque, though? What if you want something that will really stand out instead of blending in with the sea of other Miatas on the road? Well, one option could be this Rosso Corallo red 2001 Qvale Mangusta that’s currently for sale over on Cars & Bids.

The Car(s) That Got Me Into Cars: Andy and his Uncle’s Corvettes

Under the hood, this rear-wheel-drive convertible packs a 4.6-liter Ford V8 that was originally good for 320 horsepower and 314 pound-feet of torque. However, this particular Mangusta is supercharged, which means you can expect some extra shove when you put your foot down. The seller didn’t include dyno results in the listing, so we can’t say exactly how much power this car makes, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it’s close to 400 hp.

Photo: Cars & Bids

Additionally, only 284 Mangustas were ever built, so you’re looking at a seriously rare car here, and other than the supercharger, it’s unmodified. With 59,900 miles on the odometer, it’s also been driven enough that you don’t have to worry about a few more miles tanking its resale value, and the Tobacco brown leather seats look like they’re in much better condition than you’d expect from a car that’s more than 20 years old. The seller also claims the use of so many Ford parts makes it cheaper to keep on the road than you might expect.

There is, however, one downside. Depending on what kind of person you are, it might even be a dealbreaker. Sadly, the transmission is a four-speed automatic. It was so close to being perfect, but then the transmission part had to come along and ruin things. Oh well. It’s still a nice car, and it probably won’t go for big money, so if you don’t mind the missing third pedal, maybe you’ve just found your next convertible.