Never saw a Yamaha ride like this I bet

[Fire-medic]

An Austin/BMC Mini with not-one, but two Yamaha R1 engines providing 340 RWHP. No it's not FWD anymore. But, you can operate it as a one-engine running or a two-engines running ride. Built just after The Millennium, at a cost of over $50,000, and now on-sale for $29,000. The current owner is 6'3" so plenty of room for you taller fellows. I suspect that despite the wide fender flares and the other physical differences from an original Mini, and the poppy-red paint, it's something of a 'sleeper.' It probably would be a lot of fun as a track-day car. You certainly aren't going to see yourself on the other-side of any intersection, unless you're across from a mirror store.

Car and Driver once called a sub-compact car an "angry-overshoe," and I think it's time to re-use that descriptor. The Minilite wheels are 'way-cool. A very appropriate period-correct accessory.

This Incredible 340-HP Classic Mini Has Two Yamaha R1 Engines In the Back (msn.com)

 

[Itgoes]

Cool!

 

[Parminio]

That's pretty slick.

 

[Bullies74]

Nice, the roll cage speaks for itself

 

[user 16790]

clever people build some cleverly insane vehicles

 

[desert_max]

Very cool. I've had a thing for British machines for a long time - and have owned a few (bikes and cars). Would love to have your S2000 motor in a TR4...

I once saw a 'busa powered Smart car doing donuts in the alley behind a friend's cycle dyno shop. Wish I'd had the good sense to grab a coupla pictures of that one...

 

[Fire-medic]

Very cool. I've had a thing for British machines for a long time - and have owned a few (bikes and cars). Would love to have your S2000 motor in a TR4...

I once saw a 'busa powered Smart car doing donuts in the alley behind a friend's cycle dyno shop. Wish I'd had the good sense to grab a coupla pictures of that one...

Might as-well present a real challenge on the TR4 and do it to a solid rear axle model and not one w/IRS.

I recall seeing a video of a SMART car w/the 'busa engine, and that's what the guy was doing, left and right donuts , painting rubber onto the pavement with every loop.

The Reliant and the Bond were three-wheelers of the same configuration, even Cushman made one. My friend's shop did work on the 'other' three-wheeler, like a Morgan, two in the front. I think that would be more-stable, for turns. It was an earlier version of this: T-REX® and V13R® manufacturer | Campagna Motors

There was one of those, a 'reverse-trike' using a VMax engine, on here before.

Vanderhall was one of those, a reverse-trike, they were giving demo rides at Daytona Bike Week in the Speedway parking lot, the thing was pretty-easy to sling-around, burning rubber the whole time.

The Polaris Slingshot is another. Slingshot : Open-air Roadster - 3 Wheel Motorcycle | Polaris

And the Can-Am Spyder. The most 'motorcycle' of them. Can-Am Spyder & Can-Am Ryker – 3-wheel motorcycles – Can-Am On-Road (brp.com) You ride 'on' rather than 'in.'

 

[CaptainKyle]

That is cool !

 

[Parminio]

I see a lot of the T-Rex kits and similar builds all the time.

They're pretty cool.

 

[Traumahawk]

Very cool!!!

 

[Bullies74]

I believe these are built in California.

In

 

[desert_max]

I believe these are built in California.

View attachment 74346 In

I have a calendar picture of one of these on permanent display in the shop!

 

[huw s]

I actually know the guy who builds these minis - used to race grasstrack (nasa autograss), where these creations are common. If I'm right he used to be a policeman...

 

[huw s]

This is what the autograss twin engine cars can look like.

 

[one2dmax]

A few accumulated pics. Some we've helped with and some others have done.

 

[Fire-medic]

That looks like a lawn tractor, the last one w/o a body. Just-missing the cutting deck!

 

[CaptainKyle]

I see my buddies quad snuck into them pictures

 

[huw s]

Oo, I like the trike. How does it ride?

 

[Fire-medic]

Those Autograss cars remind me of the Legends here in the USA. I went to the website, and perused the rulebooks. You have to hunt a bit to find some pics, I got some from the 2019 results. I like the Hillman IMP (car # E220) which was a class-winner, that was a car you saw rarely here in the USA. Probably on a level with the Triumph Herald, or the Lotus 7. The lines of the Hillman remind me of the first generation Corvair. I once owned a Monza Spyder, a '63, all Spyders were convertibles and turbo powerplants with > 1 HP/cubic inch. Putting a transverse leaf spring onto the rear transaxle half-shafts did a lot to prevent the tuck-under of the wheel when cornering hard.

The YENKO Chevy's were popular as tuner cars, before that term was in the lexicon. YENKO cars like the Camaros are comparable to Baldwin Motion Performance Camaros, Shelby Mustangs, and Royal Bobcat Pontiacs; they also made Corvairs. John Fitch was another engineer/racer who loved the Corvairs, he called his the 'Fitch Sprints.' Whenever you pass an intersection with those barriers which resemble stout, wide, plastic barrels placed in-front of steel barricades, thank John Fitch, because he invented them. They're filled with sand, and the top blows-off when impacted, absorbing the car's kinetic energy, and helping to lessen the impact to the car's occupants. A true life-saver. They first used water inside, then they found sand worked better.

Everyone besides SC61 is late to the corner! They also remind me of the USAC Midgets, which were some hairy rides going all the way-back to before WW II. In the 1950's/'60's, they were developed with Offenhauser DOHC fuel-burning 4 cylinder powerplants boosted with nitro, insane compression ratios, and on a short track, they could run with period Indy cars, called 'Champ cars' then. They even ran against F1 cars in 'Formula Libre' races.

 

[VMAXXIMUM]

Now that looks like a shit ton of fun. A bunch of buddies racing around a private dirt track. Sign me up.