Man Builds a Cheap Street-Legal Sports Car in His Shed
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Disappointed by what was on offer in Britain's market, Robert Ely decided that if carmakers don't build affordable, fun cars, he would have to build one yourself. So, he did.
The result is a single-seater, ultralight, road-legal sports car built entirely in his shed for about £5,000 ($7,000) give or take. His DIY creation, the Gasolini AR1, looks like something out of Blade Runner, and combines a retro-futuristic aesthetic with the compact, single-seat cockpit design made popular by early European racers.
This sleek, six-speed gearbox roadster is powered by a 2017 two-cylinder Honda motorbike engine and rests atop small wheels salvaged from a Ford Ka hatchback - and it all comes with excellent fuel economy.
As Ely notes in a YouTube video detailing the build process, the most important part is that it’s simply “incredible fun to drive.” And while the Gasolini AR1 was built just for him, he designed the entire car using accessible, off-the-shelf parts so other enthusiasts could build their own.
“You may be worrying or thinking that it’s a lot of effort to build your own car, and it is,” Ely said. “But you only have to look at the cars being built today to see that the car manufacturers have no interest at all in building lightweight or sustainable cars for you.” Adding: “If you want something lightweight or different, you’re going to have to build it yourself.”
With a top speed under 80 mph, it’s not exactly a rocket, but top-end speed wasn't the objective. Ely was after something fun to drive and its low-profile, lightweight design delivers instant acceleration, offering the agile feel of a go-kart paired with the visceral intensity of a vintage sports car. Ely set out to capture the pure, uncomplicated joy of driving, but on a budget and reckons he has achieved his goal. The UK has a long history of being more permissive than most when it comes to allowing cars hand-built in sheds to be registered for road use, and the AR1 is true to that tradition.
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