Panoz is an American automotive manufacturer that was established in 1989. Established by Dan Panoz, Panoz specialized in creating limited production sports cars, while also participating in a wide range of motorsports disciplines. The company's first offering was the Panoz Roadster, which was followed by a lightened, aluminium version known as the AIV Roadster. Panoz's most well known model, the Esperante, was introduced in 2000. The company continues to operate, but with very limited automotive production.