Lotus 7-Inspired Turbocharged Kit Car Offers Supercar Speed For Sports Car Money

There are a number of different ways that people feed their need for speed. In the automotive world, it’s often true that to go very very fast consumers will need to spend very very much. This mid-engine kit car boldly stands on the far opposite end of that spectrum because, for not very much money, it can embarrass some supercars.

Called the Midlana, this kit car is an homage to the Lotus Seven but with a mid-engine layout. Placing the engine behind the passenger compartment allows the kit to use a variety of FWD drivetrains without major modification. In addition, the car features an SCCA-legal roll cage, front locking storage, and full-sized foot wells since there’s no driveshaft to be concerned with.

This particular Midlana comes with a turbocharged Honda K24A 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual transmission that drives the rear wheels only. The bodywork is composed of both aluminum and fiberglass to keep the weight down and a giant overhead air intake feeds the top-mounted intercooler.

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Keep in mind that, according to the ad, this isn’t a stock Honda motor that we’re talking about. It was reportedly built to a 9:1 compression ratio and instead of a stock turbo, it’s boosted using a GTX3576R Garrett unit. A dyno graph included in the auction shows a peak horsepower rating of 536 (399 kW). The power curve is a little violent looking to be sure. Moreover, it only weighs 1,653 pounds (749 Kg) before fluids are added, which makes for a great power-to-weight ratio.

It also has an AEM Infinity ECU, full racing seats and harnesses, a fire extinguisher, Wilwood disc brakes, and QA1 coilovers. This really is a complete package meant to do one thing; go very very fast. How can we be sure that it’ll go for sports car money?

Well, this same exact car was sold on Bring A Trailer back in June but the deal was undone by a previously leaky fuel line that has since been repaired. At that time, the winning bid was just $55,555. It could go for a bit more, or a bit less, this time. Either way, we can be sure that the new owner is getting a lot of car for their money.