Bertone Runabout Review: Retro Sports Car Style

Pop-up headlights in 2026 are either a glorious middle finger to modern design or the automotive equivalent of wearing flared jeans to a black-tie dinner. The Bertone Runabout (2026) doesn’t just flirt with nostalgia; it drags it onto the dance floor, spins it around, and asks if anyone remembers why cars used to be fun. I’ve driven dozens of so-called “heritage-inspired” sports cars, and most are cosplay with cupholders, but this one actually tries.

What makes this matter right now is that we’re drowning in sanitized EV jellybeans with touchscreen dashboards and the personality of a fridge. The Bertone Runabout arrives with a Toyota V6, pop-up headlights, and an attitude that suggests it doesn’t care about your LinkedIn profile. For enthusiasts wondering whether retro sports cars still make sense in a world of synthetic engine sounds and AI-driven lane nags, this is a proper test case.

And yes, I’m reviewing the Bertone Runabout as a real, buyable 2026 car, not a Pebble Beach fantasy. It’s priced to nibble at cars like the Porsche 718 Cayman, Alpine A110, and even the Lotus Emira, and it wants you to ask a dangerous question: do we actually want progress, or just better excuses?

Design & First Impressions: Bertone Runabout and the Pop-Up Question

Let’s address the elephant in the room, or rather the eyelids on the hood. The pop-up headlights are ridiculous, impractical, and absolutely brilliant, and anyone who says otherwise secretly misses their old Mazda RX-7. The Bertone Runabout looks like a 1969 concept car that escaped a museum, with sharp creases, a low scuttle, and proportions that shame most modern sports coupes.

Here’s my hot take: pop-up headlights should have stayed illegal. Not because they’re unsafe, but because modern designers clearly aren’t brave enough to pull them off properly, and this proves it can be done. Compared to the Porsche 718 Cayman’s clinical perfection, the Toyota GR Supra’s anime aggression, or the Lotus Emira’s supercar cosplay, this thing has soul dripping off its fenders.

Interior & Tech: Retro Done Right, Mostly

Climb inside and you’re greeted by real buttons, real dials, and real leather that smells expensive rather than ethically sourced sadness. The seating position is spot-on, low and intimate, like a proper sports car should be, and visibility is shockingly good for something this dramatic. There’s a central infotainment screen, but it’s modestly sized and doesn’t try to run your life.

Tech-wise, it’s refreshingly restrained, though not perfect. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, the digital gauge cluster mimics analog dials, and mercifully there’s no haptic-feedback nonsense. If you’re curious why some brands are finally rediscovering buttons, our piece on why Kia keeps physical controls explains the industry guilt nicely.

Driving Experience: Toyota V6, No Apologies

The heart of the Bertone Runabout is a naturally aspirated Toyota V6, and I don’t care that it’s not turbocharged or electrified. Throttle response is immediate, linear, and alive, unlike turbo fours that feel lazier than a cat in a sunbeam below 3,000 rpm. With around 300 horsepower pushing a relatively light chassis, it hits 60 mph in under five seconds and feels faster than the numbers suggest.

Steering is hydraulic-feeling, communicative, and blessedly free of artificial weighting modes. Compared to the BMW Z4, which feels like it’s filtered through three committees, or the Audi TT RS, which is devastatingly fast but emotionally beige, the Runabout actually talks to you. I’ll go further: it’s more engaging at sane speeds than a base 718 Cayman, and that will annoy Stuttgart immensely.

Fuel Economy & Running Costs

Let’s be honest, no one buys a retro sports car to save fuel, but the numbers aren’t horrific. Expect around 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway, which is roughly on par with the Toyota GR Supra V6-era equivalents and slightly worse than a four-cylinder Cayman. Insurance will sting a bit due to rarity, but servicing should be refreshingly sane thanks to Toyota underpinnings.

This is where the Runabout quietly embarrasses boutique sports cars. Parts availability, long-term reliability, and maintenance costs should be far more reasonable than an Alfa Romeo 4C or older Lotus Elise. If you’re worried about keeping something special alive long-term, that Toyota badge matters more than the pop-up headlights.

Practicality: It’s a Toy, Not a Tool

Boot space is limited, with enough room for a weekend bag and not much else. There are small storage cubbies inside, cupholders that actually hold cups, and door pockets that won’t eject your phone under cornering. This is marginally more practical than a Lotus Emira and far less useful than a BMW M240i, but that’s missing the point.

If you’re cross-shopping this with a hot hatch, you’ve already misunderstood the assignment. The Bertone Runabout is a second car, a sunny-day machine, and a conversation starter at every petrol station. For winter use, you’ll want proper tires, and our guide on winter tires versus AWD myths is worth a read before you get brave.

Value vs Competitors

At starting prices around $62,000, the Bertone Runabout sits in dangerous territory. A Porsche 718 Cayman starts a bit higher, the Lotus Emira V6 is closer to $75,000, and a well-optioned Toyota GR Supra undercuts it by several grand. On paper, the Runabout loses the value argument.

But value isn’t just spreadsheets and spec sheets. You’re paying for rarity, design bravery, and an experience no one else is offering right now. In a world where even Ferraris are flirting with electrification, there’s something rebellious about a naturally aspirated V6 and headlights that wink at pedestrians.

Design Review Reality Check

This is where I’ll upset the internet: the Bertone Runabout shouldn’t sell in huge numbers. Its charm relies on being slightly inconvenient, slightly mad, and absolutely not optimized by focus groups. If Bertone ever adds fake engine sounds or replaces the headlights with slim LEDs “for compliance,” they’ve missed the point entirely.

For context on how far design theatrics can go when done right, look at the extremes like the Pininfarina Battista. That’s an electric hypercar with drama dialed to eleven, while the Runabout does it with nostalgia and restraint. Both prove that emotion still sells.

Verdict: Does the Bertone Runabout Belong in 2026?

The answer is yes, and that’s precisely why it will confuse people. The Bertone Runabout isn’t chasing trends; it’s reminding us why we fell in love with cars in the first place. In a decade obsessed with efficiency metrics and software updates, this feels gloriously human.

If you want flawless polish, buy a Cayman. If you want brute speed, get a Tesla Model 3 Performance and be done with it. But if you want character, conversation, and a car that makes you smile before you even turn the key, the Bertone Runabout earns its place in 2026, pop-up headlights and all.

For official details and updates, visit the Bertone manufacturer website, check safety information via NHTSA, and verify fuel economy estimates at FuelEconomy.gov. The Bertone Runabout won’t be for everyone, and thank goodness for that.