The key to success on a racetrack? "Simplify, then add lightness." — according to the father of Lotus, Colin Chapman. These ten tiny racecars take his ideas to a whole new level:
10.) Deutsch Bonnet HBR
This mostly forgotten French manufacturer was very active at Le Mans during the fifties, and the HBR was their most successful car. Several hundred were built, with the most powerful version sporting a 1.3-liter supercharged engine.
Suggested By: Jonee
9.) Legends cars
Legends racing is awesome. 5/8-scale replicas of classic American cars with Yamaha engines? What's not to love?
Suggested By: ejp hates automatic transmissions
8.) Abarth 595
There can be no small race car list without an Abarth, and the 595 is the greatest. Hillclimbs or track duty? This will do it. Just don't close the bonnet. That two-cylinder needs all the air there is. The Japanese equivalent would be a kick ass Subaru 360...
Suggested By: J-Tenno
7.) Palatov D4
Would you like to kick some Porsche butt? Ring up Palatov! It has a proprietary AWD system with a chain-drive and limited-slip differentials. Did we mention it has a Hartley V8 and weights just 1100 lbs?
Suggested By: TwoWheelsAmazing
6.) Berkeley SE492
Using an Excelsior three-cylinder 492 cc engine with triple carburetors, this baby had 30 horses from the two-stroke. Enough to reach 80 mph...
Suggested By: illegaluseofmoped
5.) Daihatsu Midget
Piaggo Ape racing might be one of the greatest things on the planet, but the Italians do it with three wheels. The Midget is a proper car, with — you know — four!
Suggested By: Mikeado
4.) Moretti 750 Gran Sport
I've seen a Moretti at Como, and I wouldn't fit (6'2"). That's all you need to know.
Suggested By: Blondude
3.) Formula SAE
I wouldn't call karts cars, but the Formula SAE cars are the real deal as Matt Brown confirms:
I don't think you can go any smaller than a Formula SAE car and still call it a racecar. These things are built as racecars from the ground up, have full suspension, and some of them even have carbon monocoques, carbon wheels, active suspension, and active aerodynamics.
Suggested By: Matt Brown
2.) Jr Dragsters
These kids live their lives 1/8th a mile at a time, and look, GR1M RACER was one of them!
Suggested By: GR1M RACER : Wrong Most of the Time
1.) Mini Nascar
Would you like to get your ass kicked in the smallest racecar of them all? Listen to our buddy Bill Caswell!
Suggested By: philiphilip
Welcome back to Answers of the Day - our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
Top Photo Credit: mark i geo