Let’s face it, we all appreciate a crazy build, and it doesn’t get crazier than this 1999 Lotus Exige.
The original Exige had a track-spec version equipped with a 1.8-litre Rover K Series engine that delivered 192 hp – enough to get it from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds and make it a superstar through the corners. This one, though, is a far cry from the stock model.
For starters, you’ll need a second look to realize it’s not a Norfolk-built Opel Speedster (Vauxhall VX 220), as it borrows the entire front from its “German” counterpart. The car’s derriere is heavily modified as well, only to accommodate a Formula 3-spec, Ferrari F355 V8 engine, and a F355 Challenge transmission.
Yes, you read that right, this Opel Speedster-wannabe is powered by a race-spec Ferrari powerplant. Although the seller – who’s getting rid of the car on Piston Heads – doesn’t say how much horsepower it makes, he mentions that the engine features a trumpet intake system, titanium con-rods, Ferrari 360 injectors, and a custom fully-TIG welded exhaust system. In other words, it probably develops more than the stock 375 hp.
According to the ad, the vehicle was built “by a true enthusiast and finished by a well-known Ferrari specialist to ensure mechanically reliable”.
Moving on, there are around £50k ($62,370) worth of parts in the built, of which £6k ($7,484) are the carbon-ceramic brakes. Considering it can be yours for £49,950 ($62,249), that’s a bargain in anyone’s book. But only if you can accept its looks.
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