Racing Heritage - For many car enthusiasts, the thrill of motorsport isn’t just about speed—it’s about finding that rare blend of performance, agility, and uniqueness. In the world of grassroots racing and affordable endurance machines, one name continues to fly slightly under the radar, yet leaves a lasting impression on those lucky enough to drive—or even just witness—it: the Saker GT.
The Saker SVS GT, introduced in 1999 as a major evolution of the earlier SV1, featured a lengthened chassis and broader engine compatibility. (Picture from: Wikipedia)
Originally crafted by New Zealander Bruce Turnbull in the early 1990s, the Saker GT began life with the SV1, a road-legal machine that didn’t shy away from competitive use. Its flexibility in engine options—from V6s to V8s—made it an appealing choice for both amateur and experienced builders. The SV1 proved that performance didn’t need to come from a high-end badge, especially when that performance was built on a lightweight, race-focused platform.
The Saker SV1, the first production model introduced in 1992, was road legal, used for touring and competition, and designed to accommodate various engines—including V6 and V8—before being sold in the UK, Japan, and New Zealand. (Picture from: FastestLaps)
In 1999, Saker introduced the SVS GT, a significant evolution from the earlier SV1. The Saker GT, as it's now more commonly known, featured a lengthened chassis and new engine compatibility. This new iteration came alongside an open-top version called the Sprint. These updates allowed the cars to accommodate a wider variety of engines, most notably the turbocharged flat-four from the Subaru Impreza WRX. Some even went further with Subaru flat-sixes, providing smoother power delivery with a unique sound and character.
The Saker Sprint, introduced in 1999 as the open-top counterpart to the SVS GT, is powered by a turbocharged Subaru flat-four engine. (Picture from: Auta5p.eu)
Among the Saker builds that made their way to the United States, one road-going SVS imported from New Zealand in 2004 became a standout. Originally equipped with a Lexus V8 and Renault transaxle, it was later transformed with a highly tuned 5.7-liter Chevy LS6 engine and an Audi six-speed transaxle, producing nearly 500 horsepower. The body was also modified with updated headlights, tail lights, and aerodynamic elements for a more modern look.
The Saker RapX and Sniper models were introduced in 2010 as new additions to the lineup, offering updated bodywork while retaining the core mechanicals of the original GT and Sprint. (Picture from: Wikipedia)
But it wasn’t just individual tuners who saw the potential in the Saker. In 2002, Dutch motorsport figures Huub Vermeulen and Robbert Visser recognized the car’s racing potential and secured the rights to manufacture it in Europe. This led to the formation of Saker Sportscars in the Netherlands. Under their new stewardship, the GT and Sprint models continued production and were joined in 2010 by two visually refreshed variants: the RapX and the Sniper. While these new versions shared the GT’s core mechanicals, their updated bodywork gave them a fresh, aggressive identity.
The Saker RapX, powered by a Subaru-based engine producing 272 hp (tunable up to 400), may not match GT3 output, but its lightweight construction enables impressive performance, including a 0–100 km/h sprint in just 3.4 seconds.(Picture from: Wikipedia)
The Saker GT soon earned its place on the track. The Saker Sportscars Challenge, launched in 2004, provided a dedicated racing series where these lightweight machines could battle it out across some of Europe’s most iconic circuits. The Challenge became a highlight of DNRT (Dutch National Racing Team) , with races at Spa-Francorchamps, TT Circuit Assen, Brands Hatch, and Zandvoort. Though the last full season of the Challenge wrapped in 2013, the legacy of Saker’s racing spirit lived on.
The Saker Sportscar GT TDI competed in the 2011 24 Hours of Barcelona and secured a class victory in the SP3 category.(Picture from: Wikipedia)
Its track capabilities were further proven in international endurance racing. The Saker GT competed in the grueling 24 Hours of Dubai and secured a class victory in the 24 Hours of Barcelona. In the Britcar Endurance Championship, drivers Alan Purbrick and David Brise brought the Saker RAPX into the spotlight with a race win in 2018—highlighting the car’s ability to outperform expectations. (Some of you might remember the Isis RapX-S we discussed earlier, a car that also shares its roots with the original Saker platform.)
The Dutch Saker RapX of Alan Purbrick and Tony Brise competed at Brands Hatch as part of the Britcar Endurance Championship, achieving a race victory at the end of the 2018 season.(Picture from: Wikipedia)
In 2023, a new chapter began for Saker Sportscars as the company relocated to Germany under new owner Tobias Moehring. This shift brought fresh energy to the brand. Production resumed, and the company became active in organizing track days and participating in racing events across Europe. With the inclusion of Sakers in the Sportwagen Sprint Series and the promise of a dedicated championship if participation grows, the future looks bright. | AIZbG6qJIBk |
Today, the Saker GT stands as a testament to focused engineering and motorsport passion. It’s not a household name, but maybe that’s the point. For those who truly understand what makes a car special—its ability to connect with the driver, to deliver thrills lap after lap—the Saker GT continues to deliver, with a unique mix of simplicity, power, and purpose. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SAKERSPORTSCARS | GTPLANET | NZHERALD.CO.NZ | FASTESTLAPS | AUTA5P.EU | WIKIPEDIA ]
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Rare Icon - Every once in a while, the automotive world produces a car so rare and so daring that it feels more like a piece of rolling sculpture than something designed to be driven. The De Tomaso Mangusta Spyder is exactly that kind of machine—a one-off creation that carries with it a story of ambition, rivalry, and design genius. Born in the late 1960s, it represents a moment when Italian flair and American muscle collided in the most unexpected way.
The elusive De Tomaso Mangusta Spyder, bearing VIN 8MA512, represents the 7th chassis ever produced, making it an exceptionally rare and remarkable example. (Picture from: VeloceToday)
The Mangusta, which means “mongoose” in Italian—a deliberate nod to its intended rivalry with Carroll Shelby’s Cobra—was a car that almost shouldn’t have happened. The design originated at Iso, where Giorgetto Giugiaro and his team first toyed with the idea of crafting a sleek companion to the luxury Fidia sedan. What emerged was a pure, uncompromising shape that barely bothered with regulations: bumpers that were more decorative than functional, headlights mounted too low to be legal, and a presence that looked more like a showpiece than a production car.
The De Tomaso Mangusta Spyder, bearing VIN 8MA512, represents the 7th chassis ever produced, making it an exceptionally rare and remarkable example. (Picture from: Carrozzieri-Italiani)
But Alejandro de Tomaso wasn’t the kind of man to let a bold design gather dust. Already fresh off the Vallelunga project and still nursing frustration from Shelby abandoning their joint Ford V8 project, he saw an opportunity. With Giugiaro’s bodywork in hand and Ghia under his ownership, he dropped the Ford small-block V8 into an enlarged Vallelunga spine chassis, effectively creating the Mangusta. It was raw, aggressive, and carried a touch of defiance aimed squarely at Shelby.
The De Tomaso Mangusta Spyder, bearing VIN 8MA512, represents the 7th chassis ever produced, making it an exceptionally rare and remarkable example. (Picture from: Carrozzieri-Italiani)
Among the Mangustas built, one in particular stood apart: the Spyder by Ghia. Believed to be chassis number 8MA512, this car was never meant for the road—it was envisioned as a showpiece. Unlike Detroit’s cautious habit of hiding away prototypes, this car actually escaped into private hands. Its first buyer, a Greek shipowner, improvised a canvas top stretched across the fixed window frames, though it was hardly in line with Giugiaro’s clean vision. Later, additional quirks like a hood scoop—despite the engine sitting behind the driver—added to its eccentric history.
The
De Tomaso Mangusta Spyder, bearing VIN 8MA512, represents the 7th
chassis ever produced, making it an exceptionally rare and remarkable
example. (Picture from: Modell-Fahrzeug)
Technically, the Mangusta wasn’t perfect. Test driver Jonathan Williams, a seasoned racer, could tame its tendency toward sudden oversteer, but regular owners often found it more challenging. A structural weakness in the rear sub-frame meant that under heavy cornering, the handling could switch abruptly from understeer to oversteer. Some owners later reinforced the chassis, but many simply accepted its limits and kept the driving within safer bounds. Despite these flaws, the car’s raw appeal never waned.
The
De Tomaso Mangusta Spyder, bearing VIN 8MA512, represents the 7th
chassis ever produced, making it an exceptionally rare and remarkable
example. (Picture from: Carrozzieri-Italiani)
Power came from the Ford 4.7-liter small-block V8, producing around 302 horsepower, paired with a five-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive. Underneath, its single-girder aluminum frame clad in steel bodywork struck a balance between rigidity and style. The Spyder carried all the mechanical drama of the coupe version, but with the added allure of open-air motoring—something no other official Mangusta could offer.
The De Tomaso Mangusta Spyder, bearing VIN 8MA512, represents the 7th chassis ever produced, making it an exceptionally rare and remarkable example. (Picture from: Carrozzieri-Italiani)
Over the years, the Spyder’s journey has been as fascinating as the car itself. After its time in Europe, it made its way to Los Angeles, where it was purchased and restored by two enthusiasts, Steve Nanny and Steve Wilkinson. Unfortunately, their timing in selling it wasn’t ideal; the car changed hands for just $90,000—an amount that feels almost laughable today given its exclusivity. Considering that only 402 Mangustas were ever built, and only one true Ghia Spyder exists, its rarity now places it among the most valuable Italian exotics of its era, easily worth several million dollars.
The De Tomaso Mangusta Spyder, bearing VIN 8MA512, represents the 7th chassis ever produced, making it an exceptionally rare and remarkable example. (Picture from: Carrozzieri-Italiani)
What makes the Mangusta Spyder even more intriguing is the way it has influenced design thinking. Giugiaro’s work on the car helped solidify his reputation before he launched Italdesign, while the unconventional side-window treatment inspired later prototypes, such as one by Karmann decades later. The car also benefitted from a little-known legal loophole in the U.S., which allowed boutique manufacturers producing fewer than 500 cars to bypass certain safety regulations. That’s the only reason its low headlights and other “non-conforming” details ever made it stateside. | yGh2UFB57r0 |
Today, the De Tomaso Mangusta Spyder stands as a true anomaly in automotive history. It was never meant to be mass-produced, never intended to be tamed, and yet it remains one of the most coveted collector’s items in existence. More than just a convertible version of the Mangusta, it’s a symbol of fearless experimentation—an artifact from an era when carmakers weren’t afraid to take risks just to make a statement. For enthusiasts and collectors, it represents something more than rarity or value: it embodies the spirit of a time when cars were not only built to be driven but also to provoke, to inspire, and to stand apart forever. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CARROZZIERI-ITALIANI | MYCARQUEST | VELOCETODAY | MODEL-FAHRZEUG ]
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Unfiltered Precision - For decades, the world of automotive design has seen countless masterpieces born from passion, performance, and precision. Among the legendary names that fuel this legacy, Ferrari continues to stand apart—not only for its relentless pursuit of speed, but for its unique way of celebrating its own milestones. And in 1995, that celebration reached new heights with the arrival of the Ferrari F50.
The Ferrari F50 was produced in 1995 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Prancing Horse, blending Formula 1 technology with road-legal performance. (Picture from: Secret-Classics)
Rebel Muscle - In the heat of America’s golden muscle car era, when Detroit's Big Three were throwing down horsepower on every boulevard and race track, a fourth contender quietly muscled its way into the spotlight. While Pontiac’s Firebird Trans Am had already begun earning its stripes, American Motors Corporation (AMC) introduced a much rarer—and arguably more rebellious—machine in 1970: the AMC Javelin SST Trans-Am. Bold in its presence and purpose-built for speed, this limited-edition marvel brought AMC into a league of its own, even if the world didn’t quite know it at the time.
The 1970 AMC Javelin SST Trans-Am represented more than AMC’s engineering prowess—it was a full-throttle tribute to the brand’s bold entry into the SCCA Trans-Am series. (Picture from: HotRod)
The Javelin SST Trans-Am was more than just AMC flexing its engineering muscle—it was a full-throttle celebration of the company’s ambitious involvement in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Trans-Am series. Starting in 1968, AMC joined the ranks of Ford and Chevrolet on the grid, pushing its brand-new Javelin coupe as a serious performance player. Though late to the party—only approved for competition two months before its Sebring debut—AMC’s Javelin still managed an impressive third-place finish in the season’s points standings. Not bad for the underdog.
AMC entered the SCCA Trans-Am series in 1968 to promote its new Javelin sports coupe—a stretched AMX—even though the program was approved just two months before its Sebring 12-hour debut.(Picture from: HotRod)
But AMC didn’t just show up—they doubled down. For 1970, they pulled off a major coup by hiring Roger Penske and his ace driver Mark Donohue away from Chevrolet. Penske and Donohue had dominated Trans-Am racing with the Camaro, winning nearly everything in sight. With AMC’s fresh backing, the tables were about to turn.
The 1970 AMC Javelin SST Trans-Am was painted in the same bold red, white, and blue livery as the race-spec cars, proudly showcasing its track-bred identity.(Picture from: HotRod)
To celebrate this bold new era, AMC built a street version of their race-ready Javelin. Limited to only 100 units, the SST Trans-Am was painted in the same patriotic red, white, and blue livery that adorned the track cars. The visual drama didn’t end with paint—the car featured a wind-cutting front air dam, a functional hood scoop, and a rear spoiler that wasn’t just for show. While the race cars used a version designed by Donohue for maximum track grip, the street model still looked the part and served to homologate the features for competition use.
The 1970 AMC Javelin SST Trans-Am featured a wind-cutting front air dam and a functional hood scoop, both enhancing its aggressive look and aerodynamic performance.(Picture from: HotRod)
Mechanically, AMC didn’t hold back. The 390 cubic inch V8 was familiar in name, but new in execution. A taller deck height, redesigned cylinder heads with better airflow, and improved combustion meant the engine now pumped out 325 horsepower—10 more than the previous year. Paired with a Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed and a 3.91 Safe-T-Track rear end, this wasn’t a poser’s car. It was built to run.
The 1970 AMC Javelin SST Trans-Am featured a more refined, driver-focused interior with richer materials, woodgrain accents, and a rim-blow steering wheel that replaced the plasticky feel of earlier models.(Picture from: HotRod)
The exterior changes for 1970 gavethe Javelin a more aggressive face and sleeker profile, while the interior stepped up with richer materials and a more driver-focused layout. Gone was the plasticky feel of earlier versions—AMC added woodgrain accents, a rim-blow steering wheel, and a cockpit that actually felt special. It wasn’t over-the-top luxury, but it matched the sporty promise of the car’s bold exterior.
The 1970 AMC Javelin SST Trans-Am packed a reengineered 390 cubic inch V8 with a taller deck, improved heads, and better airflow, boosting output to 325 horsepower.(Picture from: HotRod)
Behind the wheel, the SST Trans-Am delivered on much of that promise. The seating position was intuitive, visibility was solid, and the gauges were easy to read—exactly what you want when piloting a muscle car. On a short drive, it revealed the kind of torque-heavy, responsive personality that made AMC’s big 390 engine so respected.
The 1970 AMC Javelin SST Trans-Am retained the race-inspired look and included key features homologated for competition use.(Picture from: HotRod)
Acceleration was brisk and linear, thanks to the car’s low gearing. Shifts through the old-school T-10 were satisfying, though the throws felt a touch long by today’s standards. The steering was surprisingly light, almost effortless, and while the front end felt a bit loose—possibly due to worn suspension components awaiting restoration—it still gave off a confident, eager-to-run vibe.
The 1970 AMC Javelin SST Trans-Am featured a functional rear spoiler designed not just for looks, but to enhance stability and aerodynamics at speed.(Picture from: HotRod)
Even though it didn’t feel quite as buttoned-down as a same-year Firebird Trans Am, the Javelin SST had its own unique rhythm. It didn’t try to be a copy of its rivals—it had its own design language, its own powertrain tuning, and its own interpretation of what a Trans-Am car should be. And while it might not have out-cornered the competition, it definitely held its own in a straight-line sprint—low to mid 14-second quarter mile times were well within reach, putting it ahead of many similarly-sized muscle cars. | BiMNp-BzgTM |
Today, with only 100 ever made, the 1970 AMC Javelin SST Trans-Am stands as a rare and gutsy symbol of independent innovation in a crowded market. AMC might not have had the deep pockets or marketing muscle of its larger rivals, but it had something just as valuable—audacity. And in a time when boldness mattered just as much as horsepower, the Javelin SST Trans-Am proved that going your own way could be the fastest line through the curve. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | STREETMUSCLEMAG | HOTROD | CARBUZZ ]
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Bold Originality - Back in the late 1970s, automotive innovation didn’t just belong to the big names. It also thrived in quiet corners, in humble workshops, far away from global spotlights. While the rest of the world was chasing polished luxury and roaring horsepower, one small group in Melbourne, Australia, led by a passionate car builder named Campbell Bolwell, decided to go in a different direction. They created something odd, bold, and delightfully different — a car that looked like it came from a sci-fi movie, sounded like nothing else, and demanded that you climb in through the roof. This was the Bolwell Ikara.
The Bolwell MkIX Ikara, a car that looked like it came from a sci-fi movie, sounded like nothing else, and demanded that you climb in through the roof. (Picture from: CollectingCars)
Unlike most cars, the Ikara wasn’t designed for the showroom or for Sunday drives down the boulevard. It was made for those who wanted to get their hands dirty, who found joy in assembling a machine themselves and feeling every inch of its movement on the road. When it debuted at Calder Park Raceway in November 1979, the Ikara — officially known as the Bolwell Mark IX — instantly set itself apart, not because of flashy marketing or brand prestige, but because of its singular philosophy: function before fashion.
The Bolwell MkIX Ikara featured a lightweight steel tube space frame and a fiberglass body with only 12 kits ever produced between 1979 and 1980. (Picture from: CollectingCars)
By the time he created the Ikara, Campbell Bolwell had already made a name for himself with earlier models like the Mark VII and Mark VIII, and most notably the Mk X Nagari — a muscular V8 sports car that gained a loyal following. But instead of chasing more power and refining luxury, Bolwell pivoted. The Ikara was about minimalism, agility, and creativity. It wasn’t a finished product; it was a kit. Buyers didn’t just drive the Ikara — they built it.
The Bolwell MkIX Ikara featured a bare, minimalist interior with simple seats, exposed framework, and no unnecessary comforts, emphasizing pure driving focus.. (Picture from: CollectingCars)
Each of the only 12 Ikara kits ever produced between 1979 and 1980 featured a lightweight steel tube space frame and a fiberglass body. Those panels were crafted using hand lamination and a chopper gun spray technique — an approach more common in boat building than car production. And in a move that baffled and intrigued many, the Ikara had no doors. You got in by climbing through the roof. That wasn’t a gimmick; it was a choice driven by simplicity and weight reduction.
The Bolwell MkIX Ikara used a 1.6-liter engine and rear axle from a Volkswagen Golf, reoriented into a mid-engine setup producing 74 hp and 119 lb-ft of torque. (Picture from: CollectingCars)
Under its quirky shell, the Ikara borrowed parts from more familiar vehicles. The front suspension and steering came from the Holden Gemini, complete with unequal-length wishbones and disc brakes. The rear axle and 1.6-liter engine were taken from a Volkswagen Golf, with the whole setup cleverly reoriented to fit a mid-engine layout. That engine produced 74 horsepower and 119 lb-ft of torque — modest by sports car standards, but when paired with a body that weighed only 1,377 pounds (just over 620 kg), it was more than enough to deliver a thrilling ride. The top speed? Around 101 mph (162 km/h). Not blistering, but fast enough for a car that was more about curves and corners than straight-line sprints.
The Bolwell MkIX Ikara’s compact size — just 145 inches long, 43 inches tall, and with a 92-inch wheelbase — gave it go-kart-like responsiveness. (Picture from: CollectingCars)
The Ikara’s compact size — just 145 inches long, 43 inches tall, and with a 92-inch wheelbase — gave it go-kart-like responsiveness. It rolled on Simmons 13-inch alloy wheels, with 185/60 R13 tires at the front and wider 225/60 R13s at the back. A 10.5-gallon fuel tank gave it decent range, with fuel economy close to 26.8 miles per gallon. And for those who wanted even more customization, Bolwell allowed engine swaps from Renault, Honda, or Mazda, adding another layer of individuality to each build.
The Bolwell MkIX Ikara survives today with eleven of the twelve kits still known and one prototype in Australia, standing as a rare tribute to Campbell Bolwell’s vision and a daring era of build-your-own sports cars. (Picture from: CollectingCars)
Buyers could choose from four kit stages, ranging in price from AU$4,890 to AU$9,490. Most owners reported spending only about AU$150 more to complete the car, making the Ikara not just unique, but surprisingly affordable. In 1985, the dream shifted overseas when the molds and tooling were sold to a Greek company. But no further Ikaras were ever produced. | GihLmAubmyo | KTQAPCUUOGU |
Out of the twelve kits built, eleven are still known to exist today, each one a rare relic of a wildly imaginative moment in Australian automotive history. One original prototype remains in Australia — a quiet tribute to Campbell Bolwell’s vision and to an era when building your own car, and climbing in through the roof, wasn’t such a crazy idea after all. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | BOLWELL CAR COMPANY | CAR SALES | MOTOR AUTHORITY | CARSCOOPS | COLLECTINGCARS]
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Unrealized Brilliance - Sometimes the most fascinating cars are not the ones we see tearing down highways today, but the ones that almost made it into production—machines that were ahead of their time, bold in ambition, and still manage to spark curiosity decades later. One of those remarkable examples is the Lotus Etna V8 Berlinetta, a concept car that debuted in 1984 and has since become a legend for what it promised, and what it ultimately never became.
The Lotus Etna V8 Berlinetta Concept, a concept car that debuted in 1984 and has since become a legend for what it promised, and what it ultimately never became.. (Picture from: AdrianFlux)
The Etna first appeared at the 1984 British Motor Show in Birmingham, and it wasn’t shy about showing off. Styled by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign, the Etna’s lines were sleek, futuristic, and designed to outshine the crowd. Its drag coefficient of just 0.29, paired with a dramatic Perspex upper body, was the kind of detail that usually made concept cars front-page news. But the Etnaoffered more than just pretty bodywork. It was built on the backbone of the Lotus Esprit and packed with innovations that, for the mid-1980s, sounded closer to science fiction than road car reality. Lotus suggested features like computer-controlled active suspension, anti-roll and anti-squat systems, adjustable ride height, traction control, anti-lock brakes, and even an early attempt at active noise cancellation. This was Lotus essentially saying: “Yes, we can dream big.”
The Lotus Etna V8 Berlinetta Concept first appeared at the 1984 British Motor Show in Birmingham, and it wasn’t shy about showing off. (Picture from: Cars.Bonham)
At the heart of the Etna sat the Type 909, a brand-new V8 engine crafted with both ambition and pragmatism. Colin Chapman, Lotus’s visionary founder, had given the task to engineer Tony Rudd years earlier. The goal was a 320 horsepower, lean-burn V8 that could clear strict U.S. emissions while sharing parts with the company’s existing four-cylinder engines. The result was surprisingly close to production reality: 335 horsepower at 6500 rpm and 295 lb-ft of torque, wrapped in an efficient, lightweight package. For a company of Lotus’s size and resources, this was a major achievement.
The Lotus Etna V8 Berlinetta Concept, styled by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign, featured sleek futuristic lines and a dramatic Perspex upper body with a drag coefficient of just 0.29. (Picture from: AdrianFlux)
The press immediately fell in love with the concept. CAR Magazine put it on the cover with headlines that celebrated Lotus’s potential to rival the world’s greatest supercars at the time like the Testarossa and Countach. Yet even with that buzz, financial troubles loomed over Hethel. Following Chapman’s death in 1982, the company was struggling. By 1986, when General Motors acquired Lotus, the Etnaand its promising engine were quietly shelved in favor of projects that seemed more commercially viable, like the front-wheel-drive Elan. The Etna, instead of being the UK’s first true mid-engined supercar, was left as a one-off showpiece.
The Lotus Etna V8 Berlinetta Concept’s interior featured a futuristic, minimalist layout with digital displays and experimental electronic controls. (Picture from: Cars.Bonham)
But the story didn’t end there. After years in storage, the Etna passed through the hands of collectors until it reached Olav Glasius, a dedicated Lotus enthusiast. In poor condition, the car was sent to restoration specialists Ken and Neil Myers. What they found inside made the project far more exciting: the original Type 909 V8. Turning what was essentially a clay-and-fiberglass model into a running machine was no small feat. The engine had known problems, including bent valves at high revs, but Neil Myers tackled them with engineering ingenuity—new pulleys, better tensioning, and even a modern Land Rover Discovery engine management system.
The Lotus Etna V8 Berlinetta Concept was powered by the new Type 909 V8 engine, delivering 335 horsepower at 6500 rpm and 295 lb-ft of torque. (Picture from: Cars.Bonham)
Within ten weeks, the dormant V8 roared to life for the first time, decades after its conception. That moment turned the restoration into a mission of passion. Exhausts, driveshafts, and custom mounts all had to be fitted carefully to avoid overheating the fragile body. In the end, a wooden-and-clay show car was transformed into something truly driveable, a rare case in Lotus history where a concept car became a living, breathing machine.
The Lotus Etna V8 Berlinetta Concept still carries the spirit of Lotus: clever engineering, bold design, and a refusal to stop chasing innovation, no matter how unlikely the odds. (Picture from: AROnline)
Today, the Lotus Etna stands not just as a piece of automotive history but as a symbol of what might have been. It represents a time when Lotus dared to reach higher than its resources realistically allowed, a glimpse into a parallel future where the Etna could have reshaped Britain’s supercar landscape years before McLaren and others entered the scene. Even though it never went into production, the Etna still carries the spirit of Lotus: clever engineering, bold design, and a refusal to stop chasing innovation, no matter how unlikely the odds. | KinVNVtIq2I | o13flnneEX8 | R2bepZCNJBU |
The Lotus Etna may have started as nothing more than a bold show car, but over time it turned into something far more meaningful. It represents a snapshot of Lotus at its most daring, chasing ideas that seemed impossible yet refusing to stop dreaming. Even though the Etna never became a showroom reality, its legacy still lingers as a reminder of how far passion and ingenuity can take a carmaker when the odds are stacked against them. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | ARONLINE | CARS.BONHAM | ADRIANFLUX | MORTON STREET PARTNERS IN INSTAGRAM ]
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Today, the Saker GT stands as a testament to focused engineering and motorsport passion. It’s not a household name, but maybe that’s the point. For those who truly understand what makes a car special—its ability to connect with the driver, to deliver thrills lap after lap—the Saker GT continues to deliver, with a unique mix of simplicity, power, and purpose. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SAKERSPORTSCARS | GTPLANET | NZHERALD.CO.NZ | FASTESTLAPS | AUTA5P.EU | WIKIPEDIA ]
