Never mind that the Angry Hamster Honda Z600 finished in 140th place at the 2009 Arse Freeze-A-Palooza, because the team took home the coveted Dangerous Homemade Technology trophy and generally knocked us on our asses with their car's awesomeness.
Dave Coleman- whose LeMons resume, as a member of the ghettocharged Eyesore Racing Miata team, includes an overall win and two Organizer's Choice trophies- has put together an excellent MotoIQ piece covering some of the engineering that went into the Hamster. While you read it, keep in mind that the entire project, start to finish, was completed in about 10 weeks; other than brief jaunts around the shop's parking lot, the Arse Freeze was the first time the Hamster moved under its own power. How will it do on a race track once all the bugs are worked out? As Mr. Coleman puts it: "At 1400 lbs and 116 hp, it has nearly the same power/weight ratio as an S2000. Its packaged like proper race car, with the engine in the middle and the drive wheels in the back. Weight distribution is a dead-even 50/50, an unusual feat for a mid-engine car, and the wheelbase is nearly a foot shorter than a Lotus Elise's."