The Many Flavors of Lotus Seven

"SmugAardvark" (SmugAardvark) 03/23/2018 at 15:31 • Filed to: Lotus, kit car

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There are tons of kit cars and kit car companies out there. But for the life of me, I can’t think of a single car that has been emulated quite as much as the Lotus Seven. I’m sure it’s largely due to the dead-simple formula of light weight along with minimal body and interior panels. It doesn’t take much power to make any of these cars quick. As a result, I’ve seen some interesting powertrains in these over the years. And there are a few companies that have taken the basic idea, and ran with it to create some pretty wild stuff.

Since it’s Friday afternoon, and I have nothing better to do, here’s an assortment of Sevens and Seven replicas that is, in all likelhood, not an exhaustive list I’ll include the intended engine if I know and the country of origin.

Original Lotus Seven, 1st Gen - 1.2L Ford I4 (UK)

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Caterham 7 - Myriad engine options depending on model (UK)

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Donkervoort S7/S8/D8 - 1.6L Ford Crossflow I4 (S7)/2.5L Audi I5 (D8) (Netherlands)

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Gillet Vertigo - 2.0L Ford Cosworth I4/ 3.0L Alfa Romeo V6/4.2L Ferrari V8 (Belgium)

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Elfin MS8 Clubman - 5.7L GM V8 (Australia)

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Brunton Stalker - 3.8L GM 3800 V6 (USA)

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Westfield Megabusa - 1.3L Suzuki Hayabusa I4 (UK)

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Dala7 - 2.0/2.4L Volvo I4/I6 (Sweden)

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Diardi - 1.4L Fiat I4 (Turkey)

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Birkin S3 - 2.0L Ford Duratec I4 (South Africa)

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Haynes Roadster - Various, but most commonly 1.6L Ford Zetec I4 (UK)

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Mitsuoka Zero-1 - 1.6L Mazda I4 (Japan)

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Daytona X7 Road Rocket - 5.7L GM LS1 V8 (UK)

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Tiger Racing Aviator (UK)

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Nota Fang - 2.0L Fiat I4 (Australia)

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Chinkara Roadster (India)

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No more pictures of these, because they all look pretty much identical

BWE Hornet - 1.6L Ford Kent I4 (UK)

Locust - Usually an I4 from an Escort MkII or Cortina MkIV (UK)

Alpha Sports 320G - 1.6L Toyota 4AGE I4 (Australia)

MNR RT - Various motorcycle engines (UK)

Chevron Engineering Classic (New Zealand)

MK Indy - Ford Pinto I4 (UK)

Almac Clubsprint (New Zealand)

DAX Rush - Various Ford I4 or Honda Fireblade I4 (UK)

Fraser Clubman (New Zealand)

Raw Engineering Striker - 1.6L Toyota I4 (UK)

Irmscher 7 - Opel I4 or full-electric powertrain (Germany)

PRB S3 - 1.6L Toyota 4AGE I4 or Ford Zetec I4 (Australia)

Quantum Xtreme - Various Ford I4's (UK)

ESTfield Seven - Lada I4 (Estonia)

And honestly, there are probably dozens more out there. And despite all this, I’ve only ever been behind the wheel of one of these (Brunton Stalker V6) and have never owned any. Some day though...

So, which one is your favorite?

Roundbadge > SmugAardvark 03/23/2018 at 15:50

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I was able to drive the home-brewed version another Opponaut built a couple of years ago (he hasn’t commented in quite some time...I have a pic but I don’t know if I should share it). He used a Miata engine and a Nissan turbo. That thing was the most fun I’ve ever had below 50 mph. I was too scared to exceed that, despite him yelling “FASTER!” at me.

Edit: he shared a pic in one of his comments . Dude decided he wanted to build his own car, then started taking classes at the local community college to learn the welding, machining and fabrication skills. It probably looks even better now, but I haven’t seen it for 5 years or so.

AuthiCooper1300 > SmugAardvark 03/23/2018 at 16:04

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Excellent work! Sadly I think I still prefer the original, but it is very interesting to see all the variations on the same basic theme.

I was a bit surprised to see the Nota Fang there, however. Mid-rear engined so even if it tries to look a bit like a Seven, the mechanicals are placed very differently.

SmugAardvark > AuthiCooper1300 03/23/2018 at 16:19

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Yeah, it was debatable to even add the Nota to the list, because it is fundamentally different in a few ways. But the picture was just too good to pass up on.

vondon302 > SmugAardvark 03/23/2018 at 16:21

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That Birkin you posted looks neat with those rear fenders. I love these little things and yet sadly have never even sat in one so your ahead of me.

SmugAardvark > Roundbadge 03/23/2018 at 16:21

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That’s fantastic. I would love to have another chance to drive one. The Brunton I drove around briefly was incredible, but like you, I was a little too nervous to really mash the pedal despite the owner telling me to push harder.

SmugAardvark > vondon302 03/23/2018 at 16:23

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I’m a fairly robust person (6'3" 210#), so fitting into the Brunton was possible, but not exactly ideal. I’d be genuinely interested in trying a few others out to see how they compare.

AuthiCooper1300 > SmugAardvark 03/23/2018 at 16:37

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Surprising but not wrong!

(And I completely agree on the period charm, so to speak, of the image)

t0ast > SmugAardvark 03/23/2018 at 17:08

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I thouroughly enjoyed the ‘93 Birkin I drove a few years ago @ Fun2Drive. It made 130HP feel fast, it made great noises, and it was tons of fun in the corners. That said, I think I’d prefer one that has since graduated to an independent rear suspension. Style-wise, I’m most on board with the close imitations (Caterham, Westfield, Birkin, etc.), but probably wouldn’t say no to a Stalker (since they’re pretty competitive for autocross right out of the box) or some of the others.

CaptDale - is secretly British > SmugAardvark 03/23/2018 at 18:04

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The Donkervoort just makes my pants so fucking tight. I need one

AuthiCooper1300 > SmugAardvark 03/23/2018 at 18:23

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I seem to remember that even the very first Donkervoorts were already longer and wider than the Seven to make them more comfortable for all sizes of occupants.

pip bip - choose Corrour > SmugAardvark 03/24/2018 at 07:54

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elfin

Nauraushaun > SmugAardvark 03/24/2018 at 17:09

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I always was fond of the elfin. Had no idea there were so many

SmugAardvark > CaptDale - is secretly British 03/27/2018 at 10:06

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You and me both, buddy.