UK Builder Creates $7K Hand-Built Sports Car Anyone Can Make

While wealthy collectors paid $42 million for rare supercars at Monterey Car Week, Robert Ely was proving that affordable driving joy still exists.

The UK builder created the Gasolini AR1, a hand-built sports car that costs less than $7,000 to make and returns an impressive 41 miles per gallon. Best of all, he's sharing the plans so anyone with a garage and determination can build their own.

Ely pulled off this feat by thinking differently about what makes driving fun. Instead of chasing more power and speed like modern sports cars, he focused on lightweight simplicity and clever engineering.

The AR1 weighs less than 1,000 pounds and uses parts from a 2017 Honda CBR500 motorcycle, including its 47-horsepower engine. The wheels and tires come from a Ford Ka, keeping costs down while delivering nimble handling at legal speeds.

The design looks like it rolled out of a 1990s sci-fi movie, with aerodynamic pods covering each wheel and teardrop-shaped suspension covers reducing drag. Small air holes feed the radiator while NACA ducts along the sides let warm air escape.

Ely built everything around a tube chassis, mounting the motorcycle engine behind the single seat to drive the rear wheels. The result is a car that's genuinely fun to drive without breaking speed limits or your budget.

The Ripple Effect

Ely's project challenges the auto industry's constant push for more power, higher prices, and excessive performance. His approach offers a sustainable path for driving enthusiasts who love cars but can't justify spending six figures.

He's now working on the AR2, an electric version using a HyPer 9 motor and Jaguar I-Pace battery cells. This model doubles the horsepower and quadruples the torque while keeping the same lightweight philosophy.

While Ely won't build more AR1s himself, he's selling plans and instructions for others to follow. His YouTube channel documents the entire build process, showing that accessible automotive passion doesn't need to die in an era of unaffordable vehicles.

For anyone with garage space and mechanical curiosity, Ely just handed them the blueprint for weekend driving joy.