--- title: "Isdera, the Weirdest Sports Car Maker of the ’80s, Went Back to Work Without Telling Anyone" date: "2025-10-08" modified: "2025-10-08" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/isdera-the-weirdest-sports-car-maker-of-the-80s-went-back-to-work-without-telling-anyone" categories: - "News" tags: - "classic" - "Supercar" --- # Isdera, the Weirdest Sports Car Maker of the ’80s, Went Back to Work Without Telling Anyone ![Image uploaded to Reddit of a new Isdera sports car, to the r/whatisthiscar subreddit]() *\Slightly-imposible via Reddit\* If you're a fan of strange boutique sports cars from the '80s and '90s, you may already know about Isdera. Founded by a former Porsche engineer, Isdera built Mercedes-powered machines with radical styling, culminating in the one-of-one [Commendatore 112i](), a bullet-shaped supercar that never entered production as planned. Isdera spent the next few decades in a nebulous state of existence until, inevitably, its name was co-opted by an EV startup in China. It supposedly has a new car on the way, though we might've never known that if one Redditor didn't [stumble across it](). The blue sports car in these pictures is called the L'Aquila, and it follows the Commendatore GT, an electric coupe built in collaboration with WM Motor in 2018. Today, the brand is [under the control of Xinghui Automotive Technology](), which apparently launched the L'Aquila back in June. Weirdly, though, if you visit [*that* Isdera's website](), there's zero publicity for this car. For that reason, I can't tell you how powerful or expensive the L'Aquila is; I can't even tell you if it's driven by electric motors or an engine, as Isdera is courting both segments, according to that press release linked above. https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthiscar/comments/1o0h5by/help_me_out_what_is_this_a_gulwing_ferrari/ For what it's worth, I think it looks fine, though obviously quite generic. Before the L'Aquila, this newest incarnation of the company created the Imperator Concept, inspired by the Spyder 033i and Imperator 108i, which first got Isdera noticed in the '80s. I can see some of that legacy in the side windows, but that's about it. The original Imperator looked like a supercar from another planet's future, while this new thing is basically what you'd get if you asked Hyundai's design team to put a modern spin on the Alfa Romeo SZ. ![]() ![]() So, yeah, it's hard to get a bead on what, exactly, is going on with Isdera nowadays. What's left of the German side of the company, Isdera AG, [filed for bankruptcy in April](), two months before [the L'Aquila was first shown in China](). Isdera AG has [its own website](), by the way, which is in English and mostly advertises design and engineering consultancy services. It sort of ends the brand's story at the Commendatore GT, presumably because that's the last original vehicle this side of the firm was involved with. And it features a soullessly minimalist new logo that makes the failed Cracker Barrel rebrand look like an Art Nouveau masterpiece—but that's neither here nor there. Isdera has always fascinated me because everything about the company, from its history to its products, always seemed so enigmatic, and purposefully so. Consider that after the Commendatore 112i fizzled out, it built [this twin-V8 monstrosity](). I know that today's Isdera really has nothing to do with the car I'll forever [associate with *Need for Speed II*](), but it absolutely figures that even in this post-acquisition era, we barely have a clue what Isdera *is*, let alone any idea where it's headed. *Got a tip? Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com*[]() ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()