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Interest concept, the "Beam-R" but i still need my creature comforts...

Interesting. I've seen lots of different Lotus Seven kits (e.g. http://www.windingroad.com/articles/lists/ten-lotus-7-replica-kit-cars/), but never one with a BMW drivetrain. But of course it's no surprise that someone would build one!

There's a guy in my track club that owns a Locost Seven kit car with a Mazda Miata drivetrain. That car weighs next to nothing and is stupid fast. It's one of my favorite cars, but you're right, there's not much in the way of creature comforts with these cars!

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Dave
'91 325iX

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Dave_G
Interesting. I've seen lots of different Lotus Seven kits (e.g. http://www.windingroad.com/articles/lists/ten-lotus-7-replica-kit-cars/), but never one with a BMW drivetrain. But of course it's no surprise that someone would build one!

There's a guy in my track club that owns a Locost Seven kit car with a Mazda Miata drivetrain. That car weighs next to nothing and is stupid fast. It's one of my favorite cars, but you're right, there's not much in the way of creature comforts with these cars!

To be fair, that's not where these cars are at though. A seat is all the creature comforts you need

I was at a car show last summer. A guy had a '71 2002 he had wedged a 325 inline 6 into. I bet that thing was a screamer!!!

alan

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alanrw
I was at a car show last summer. A guy had a '71 2002 he had wedged a 325 inline 6 into. I bet that thing was a screamer!!!

alan

There was a restored red 2002ti for sale in Seattle, WA last year that had the M3 S14 Engine in it

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1989 - E30 - M20 - Manual. Approximately 270,000 miles
2000 - E46 - M52TUB28 - Manual. Approximately 110,000 miles

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Earendil

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alanrw
I was at a car show last summer. A guy had a '71 2002 he had wedged a 325 inline 6 into. I bet that thing was a screamer!!!

alan

There was a restored red 2002ti for sale in Seattle, WA last year that had the M3 S14 Engine in it

Those are proper little cars, on the other hand the "seven" replicas are a design from the fifties, when popular old cars were striped form the rusted saloon body to be rebuilt as lightweight roadsters.
I can't understand why people turn a S2000 or a Miata into a seven replica, and there are few RWD rusted saloons anymore.
The cost and labour necessary to make a seven could do wonders out of any BMW or newish RWD sports car.

The way I see it, I could be interested in a motorbike powered seven, in the sense of an "improved" go-kart, but as a car I would take an S2000 or a Miata over any replica any time, sorry.

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Jose Pinto

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Earendil

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alanrw
I was at a car show last summer. A guy had a '71 2002 he had wedged a 325 inline 6 into. I bet that thing was a screamer!!!

alan

There was a restored red 2002ti for sale in Seattle, WA last year that had the M3 S14 Engine in it

Those are proper little cars, on the other hand the "seven" replicas are a design from the fifties, when popular old cars were striped form the rusted saloon body to be rebuilt as lightweight roadsters.
I can't understand why people turn a S2000 or a Miata into a seven replica, and there are few RWD rusted saloons anymore.
The cost and labour necessary to make a seven could do wonders out of any BMW or newish RWD sports car.

The way I see it, I could be interested in a motorbike powered seven, in the sense of an "improved" go-kart, but as a car I would take an S2000 or a Miata over any replica any time, sorry.

I've always thought the Miata a great little car, and it's one of the few RWD's (too obvious I know)

I'd also like to have another 2002 with the motor from my 318ti

I almost started a project to build a Locost 7 from a 1985 318. Bought the distressed car for a few hundred to get the drive train and was planning to use the rear subframe for the rear of the project. A few months went by and the shop I was going to use at a friend's place never materialized so I realized that even if I completed the Locost I would not have a place to drive it without spending a lot of money on track days. Also did not have an indoor place to store it when it was finished.

Wound up repairing the car with salvaged parts for a few more dollars and sold the whole thing for a slight profit.

A good E-30 is still quite a nice ride and it is street legal.

Bob in Everett

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Jose Pinto
Those are proper little cars, on the other hand the "seven" replicas are a design from the fifties, when popular old cars were striped form the rusted saloon body to be rebuilt as lightweight roadsters.

Actually, the Lotus Seven was an original design from Colin Chapman, and was quite successful in its little niche. They weren't made from stripped parts of anything; they came straight from the Lotus shop that way. Today's kit cars and replicas pay homage to that original Lotus design.

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I can't understand why people turn a S2000 or a Miata into a seven replica, and there are few RWD rusted saloons anymore.
The cost and labour necessary to make a seven could do wonders out of any BMW or newish RWD sports car.

Because most of the drivetrains used in those kits come from cars that are otherwise destroyed beyond restoration. And regardless whether they are or not, the Seven is so blissfully light that the cars are almost always WAY faster than whatever the donor car was. I know a fellow with a Locost with a Miata drivetrain, which will run circles around any Miata on the track, and offer a more visceral experience at the same time.

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Dave
'91 325iX