Some people believe so. I don’t. But what is it then?
Regular readers will know I adhere pretty strongly to the “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”-brigade as well as being a firm believer in “original is best”. Well, obviously not best in the actual sense of the word, but in the sense of “correct”. In short: I like classic cars for what they are.
To my defense I will say that I actually like quite a lot of classics, then: From wheezing Volkswagens to bellowing Ferraris and most everything in between. Including the Mazda MX-5 (the earliest of those officially classic cars of 30 years of age in many countries by now) and the Alfa Romeo 158. But a kit car inspired by the latter and based on the former?
Hmmm. Yet somebody is doing exactly that right now and it is frankly one of the strangest ideas I have seen all year. As that year is quickly drawing to an end I now doubt I will see anything stranger, in fact. It is almost needless to say the idea is British and charmingly enough the kit required to do the transformation was initially priced at only 7,500 GBP. Plus a donor MX5, of course, but that is really a minor part of such a project. And it is nothing for an Alfa Romeo 158, of course.
But then again: That’s not what you get either. In fact I am struggling to define what exactly you DO get.
The Alfa Romeo 158 was one of the greatest early Grand Prix cars ever. And arguably the MX5 was the great initiator of the sports car revival of the Nineties. As well as being a hugely enjoyable sports car on its own, by the way. But this mix. What was supposed to by a supercharged straight-eight engine with a sound like ripping the heavens themselves apart is a fizzy four cylinder that Greta Thunberg would hug with all of her feeble girl power. Isn’t it rather, erhm – ungodly?
Not many real details have been provided yet (see the website here: Tipo184), but the kit seems to be selling as of now and is endorsed by the MX5-community. It is not for me – but could it be for you? And not least: Please tell me what it is.
