Jay Leno is no stranger to odd vehicles, so when something grabs his attention, you know it will be interesting. The 2021 Lulu was designed and built by Paul Kalenian in his garage (not Jay’s).
In a recent video, Kalenian describes himself as a “self-taught engineer,” who says that his lack of experience was virtue because, “If you know too much, you’ll never start.” Those are two turns of phrase that, while helpful, I’m sure, in some contexts, serve only to terrify when it comes to the world of automotive engineering.
Regardless, Kalenian’s gumption led him to create a modern-day homage to the Harvey Aluminum Special. Built by Micky Thompson for the 1962 Indianapolis 500, it featured a mid-mounted Buick V8 engine and was piloted by Dan Gurney, among others, in his rookie season.
For his first creation, Kalenian wasn’t interested in anything as large as a V8, opting instead for a Chevrolet LTG crate engine. The 2.0-liter inline-four, makes a healthy 272 hp (203 kW/276 PS) at 5,500 rpm and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque at 3,000 rpm, which seems like plenty for a car that weighs just 1,530 lbs (694 kg).
Read: This Is What Happens When You Put A 3,300 HP Dodge Viper On The Dyno
Though it may seem that way, Kalenian disagreed. In actuality, he found Lulu to be a little on the heavy side, so he started all over again. This time, building a single-seater, he chose to turn to the world of motorcycles for power.
He used the engine from a 2019 BMW K1600 motorcycle. It makes less power than the I4, but is still rated at 158 hp (118 kW/160 PS). It helped contribute to bringing the overall weight down to just 1,038 lbs (471 kg).
The fact that a motorcycle engine spins in the opposite direction of a car engine meant that Lu2 took a lot longer to build. By installing the differential upside down and backwards and running it with a belt that connects to the driveshaft, though, everything winds up going the right direction.
A testament to what a little ignorance and a lot of cleverness can accomplish, Lulu and Lu2 are among the weirdest things on the road, but they do look cool.