I'd buy and drive that "totalled" Elise anytime.
Nifty cars, alloy chassis, uses lots of bonding adheasives and very cool tech to build it.
That shot of the flat bottem is pretty cool too. Too bad they have so many scoops and wings they are not that clean areo wise IIRC. Anyone know the Cd on that car?
300+ rwhp on that car would make it a monster.
Only thing better would be that chassis with a backwards Subaru STI engine/driveline worked into it. (basicly a 2000lb 911... only revise the transaxle so the engine would be mounted midship, and the trans would hang off both ends of it. Diff off the rear, transaxle in the middle, and driveline up the center to the front diff would be very well packaged, but a bugger to change the motor on for sure.
Your seats could sit over the engine with a flat 4 if done right... and you could make the car wider and shorter if you wanted. Even if it was slightly taller, it would have a lower CG I'd think as well.
Ok, ultimate sports car.
Body/chassis similar to the Elise.
Engine is a twin turbo flat 6 under the seats, and with intake manifolds designed to go up into each quarter panel to keep the seats very low. Also house a turbo per side in the quarters, and the intercoolers there as well.
Put the radiators up front. and vent them like the Elise.
Figure 500hp, and have it AWD, and 2100lbs complete.
I bet Subaru could build that for 60k, and sell them all day long