Scratch-Built Lotus 7 Replica w/ Turbo Miata Power, A Superbike on 4 Wheels

Hand-built from scratch. Turbocharged Miata power. This Lotus 7 Replica feels less like a car… and more like a superbike with seatbelts. Some cars are bought. Some are built. And then there are the ones that are cut, welded, measured, re-cut, re-welded and obsessively engineered in a garage until they turn into something that makes modern performance cars feel numb by comparison. This scratch-built Lotus 7 Replica was 100% designed and fabricated by my best friend Ron Tyler, from bare metal tubes all the way to final assembly. Powered by a turbocharged Mazda Miata engine and wrapped in an ultra-lightweight aluminum skin, the result is a brutally honest, driver-focused machine that feels more like a superbike than a traditional car. No ABS. No drive modes. No traction control. Just boost, throttle input, steering feel, and a power-to-weight ratio that turns every straight into an event. With its minimalist design, exposed suspension geometry, and featherweight construction, this homebuilt track weapon delivers the kind of raw mechanical feedback that modern performance platforms try (and often fail) to replicate with software. While visiting Ron recently, alongside his pristine 1972 Porsche 914 and brand-new C8 Corvette, my son Noah and I brought along a few cameras and grabbed some quick cinematic passes of this absolute monster.