I would like to suggest test

I would like to see a test/review of the Kit type super cars. I would like to know all the normal stuff plus what people think of the ownership experience. You could use something like a 911 GT3 as a control.

superformance daytona coupe

I know its not a "kit" car but what about the Noble

What else should be on this list?

Factory 5 Cobra and '33

THIS!

Radical SR8 is sold here as a kit, right?

Lessee, that's a GTM factory 5 car right? Yah I wanna know if they've solved the killyou lift throttle oversteer issue they started out with. Also, I wanna see what's what with any and all GT40 kits. Just cuz.

Superformance GT40. I love the picture on the Ultima site where they show all the parts in an exploded view type of picture. I'd love to have the time, money, space, skills, etc. to send off for a kit and start building.

I would add that any "test" of kits would not be a very good comparison. There are so many variables in the final product. Did they go with a stock truck motor or a built 700 HP monster? Cheap shocks or $3K/corner? Tires? There are just too many variables to come up with a real performance test. Like a lower end built kit A versus a total race kit B or vice versa.

However, it would make good editorial content if you could work the logistics of having X number of kits from Y different manufacturers at a track all at the same time.

If I built a kit car ....

While it's not really a review, a lot of these cars have gone to the Ultimate Track Car Challenge over the years. A Radical won it one year, a Superformance GT40R took 5th ahead of a Ferrari 430 Challenge and two spots behind a 911GT2 another year. Factory Five Spec Roadsters, Stalkers, and a bunch of other kit cars have competed too. Reviewing the results from those events might help you figure out the performance capabilities of these cars. The only problem is you don't really have any idea of how "stock" these cars are, or if the owners greatly modified them.

Here's a pdf of the 2010 results, I think you can find more on the GRM site:

2010 UTCC Results

Bob

go on youtube, google LS turbo Ultima GTR, also there's a TT Lexus powered Ultima GTR, my favorite Ultima GTR one-off though is Jon Olsson's:

Hotlinked from his site, how the car looks now:

The fact that there're plates on that Ultima makes me giggle.

Dr. Hess wrote: I would add that any "test" of kits would not be a very good comparison. There are so many variables in the final product. Did they go with a stock truck motor or a built 700 HP monster? Cheap shocks or $3K/corner? Tires? There are just too many variables to come up with a real performance test. Like a lower end built kit A versus a total race kit B or vice versa. However, it would make good editorial content if you could work the logistics of having X number of kits from Y different manufacturers at a track all at the same time.

You are 100% right about a real "Test" and that is why I would like it to me more about the experience of building and owning the car. I would like to see questions like the following: Did they end up with 500hp fiberglass POSs that wants to kill them? Do they wish they had walked in and bought a Porsche Boxster S and ben happy. Did they get good service form the kit car company and is there a supportive community for their car?

Don't forget Westfield / Caterham

I like this idea.

If I built a kit car, it'd likely come out like this:

I like this idea, but would rather it be a series of articles, each comparing (when applicable) the same replica from different manufacturers. This would help people in making a decision as to what kit to buy.

pinchvalve wrote: THIS!

Oh Yeah! Hardcastle and McCormick flashback!

If you go UK, there are a number of additinal ones - some for quite cheap (relatively). However, perhaps you should define your criteria better:

Does it have to be a hardtop? When does a car become super? A sevenesque with something good under the hood should give supercar performance until the aerodynamic penalty kicks in, after which it becomes ordinary.

I would include the RCR vintage replicas (P4, T70 Coupe and Spyder, 917K, MK. I and IV GT40), the RCR Superlight Coupe, and see if you could bring in that street-driven T70 Spyder replica that was at the UTCC this year. that should more or less have the stupid-fast, mid-mounted big V8 kit car market covered. for the spec, perhaps use the same shock, same or very very similar tires, and similar power/weight ratios for all the cars to try to even the playing field somewhat

another interesting thing you could do is have a production sports/super car costing roughly the same as these kit cars as a control, then bring in a supercar with a similar power/weight ratio of the kit cars, to use as control cars. so that it could be shown how much faster or how different the feel is between the kit cars and the similarly priced production cars, then compare the performance versus price of the kit cars versus the production supercar maybe? just an idea

Cool idea on the articles.

It might reduce the complexity to do a series of articles, each one comparing only a few similar kits. For example:

VW-based Porsche replicas (356, 550 Spyder, etc.)

Lotus 7 / Locost (including a scratch-built or two)

Mid-engine V8 swoopy cars (GT40, FF GTM, etc.)

Front-engine American V8 replicas (Cobra, Cheetah, etc.)

While there's certainly some overlap of interests, I think a lot of readers and potential builders already know what kind of car they want to build, and want comparisons with similar kits.

Edit:

See how free we readers are with GRM's time, money, and effort? Seriously, y'all do a good job with the editorial mix. Just throwing ideas out there.

Yeah, me too. See my second to last post above...

I second the Cheetah... one of the best looking cars ever.