Low cost and big fun
The Lotus brand has many different connotations for petrolheads. Some might think that the letters in the name refer to mechanical problems (usually very serious), while others believe it to be the Formula 1 team which gave Jim Clark, Mario Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi their World Championships. The Locost Seven homebrew kit car, powered by a 1985 Toyota Corolla, was inspired by the Lotus original.
Locost is not the name of the pesky insects. It refers to the fact it is a “low cost” interpretation of Lotus. The Corolla’s 1.8 liter four-cylinder engine powers this vehicle. It produces approximately 120 horsepower (91 kilowatts). The rear wheels are driven by a five-speed manual transmission. Despite being a Bugatti Veyron, this Toyota engine is more powerful than you might think.
Many might argue that the model belonged to Caterham, but we won’t start a civil war in the comments. Although that might be true, it is not the truth. The Lotus Seven was the first to use the model, and ran from 1957-1973, before Caterham purchased the rights.
“Hah! This is hilarious. This thing is hilarious.
Although it would be inaccurate to judge the Locost’s structural integrity from photos, the styling is quite strong from the right angles. Although there is some sloping around the edges, the Locost still retains the best design cues of the original car, such as the side-exit exhausts and wheel covers at its front.
It doesn’t matter how the vehicle looks or what its finish is, it’s evident that the British automaker’s philosophy of simplicity and featherweight performance still lives on.