A highly unusual custom sports car blending classic design with modern engineering has surfaced for sale in the United Kingdom. The one-off build combines the vintage styling of a Porsche 356 Outlaw replica with the lightweight engineering of a Lotus Elise chassis and a heavily modified Honda engine producing 550 horsepower.
The project is based on a Series 1 Lotus Elise Sport 160 platform, known for its lightweight construction and precise handling characteristics. The Elise chassis, developed during the mid-1990s by engineers Richard Rackham and Matt Becker alongside designer Julian Thomson, introduced a bonded extruded aluminum tub that weighed about 150 pounds. This innovative design helped keep the early Elise curb weight around 1,598 pounds while providing exceptional rigidity and corrosion resistance.
That engineering foundation became one of the defining features of the Elise, which ultimately sold more than 35,000 units across three generations between 1996 and 2021. The car’s focus on lightweight performance and chassis balance established it as a benchmark for modern sports cars and helped cement its reputation among enthusiasts.
In this build, the Elise platform has been extensively refreshed while retaining much of the original architecture. The wiring harness and fuel system remain from the Lotus donor vehicle, helping simplify servicing and compatibility. Mechanical updates include refurbished suspension wishbones, upgraded toe links, new brake rotors, braided brake lines, performance brake pads, race-spec dampers and springs, and a strengthened anti-roll bar.
Power comes from a rebuilt Honda K24 2.4-liter inline-four engine equipped with i-VTEC, double overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, electronic fuel injection, and distributorless ignition. The engine has been turbocharged and paired with a Wavetrac limited-slip transmission, resulting in an output reportedly reaching 550 horsepower.
The exterior features a Porsche 356 Outlaw-style replica body fitted with details such as billet alloy hinges and handles, plastic wheel-arch liners, and leather clubman seats mounted on custom rails.
Although largely complete, the car still requires several finishing touches before it can return to the road, including installation of window glass, a rear screen, and an engine cover. Despite those remaining tasks, the distinctive blend of classic styling and modern performance makes it one of the more unusual custom builds currently offered for sale, with bidding underway on eBay in the UK.
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