I just saw the video of the K20 powered Lotus running around the track and it reminded me of this K20 powered Honda Insight I found on-line a few weeks back. Its a fully functional car with full interior, ac, ps, etc 200whp and gets 46mpg. I love it.
http://www.tamparacing.com/forums/lht-performance/425659-k20a-insight-lht.html
I always wondered why more insights weren't turned into drag racers. They're stupid light, right?
Are they twitchy with that skinny rear track?
I really, really like the idea of that. I didn't get through the whole thread, does it state his costs in there?
It wasn't like a "we'll build as many as come across our door" it was more of a "we built it and sold it"
I'd imagine the cost would be in the neighborhood of 15-18,000.
8-10k for a Insight 1-4 for a K20 a few grand in labor
but...it might not be a difficult swap once some more people have done it.
Put the drivetrain in back, hehehe.
Would that be legal in SM2?
eastsidemav wrote: Would that be legal in SM2?
Depends how the swap was accomplished. They mentioned subframes, chassis stiffening, etc., which would not be. In theory, just the swap would be.
that was in a recent issue of honda tech or juan of those mags.
Oh, that is PERVERSE. I love it. 
I wonder how it handles. Regardless, that amount of speed while turning that fuel efficiency??? Perfect. Utterly perfect. Could be the perfect mode of transportation.
Just fantastic. 
no rust, but welding.fabricating aluminum engine mounts might take practice
rear tack cold be fixed by modifying the fender skirts and using a higher offset wheel.
The magazine Sport Compact Car had a dragracing Insight under construction, at one time. I don't know whether I missed a few issues or it was just never completed. They pretty much had it gutted and tubbed/tubed and I think it had a heavily breathed on K series engine....just don't remember too much as far as which one (K20 or 24).
Last year, maybe two, someone was running an Insight at Maxton, I didn't get the details but it had a chute which was required of the 150+ MPH standing mile tech.
Sort of related, here is my buddy's 212.9 MPH standing mile Camaro at Maxton
^ "Sick" on both counts
Awesomeness.
DirtyBird222 wrote: that was in a recent issue of honda tech or juan of those mags.
That red Insight was featured in Honda Tuning a few months back. The cost of the K swap is still very high even though motors are plentiful on both sides of the world. The motors alone are still running around $5000 and in the end the costs runs the price up to about $8-9000 after converting the fuel lines and whatnot and then running the Hondata K-Pro.
http://www.hondatuningmagazine.com/features/htup_0806_honda_k_series_insight/index.html
Local Insight drag racer:
Also K-powered.
Still, who on here wouldn't pay $18k for a 46mpg, 2000lb, 200whp daily driver? I mean REALLY?
Me.
You asked. :)
If I was in the market for an 18k car, then maybe. But I'd need a back seat. 
OrangeRazor wrote: Still, who on here wouldn't pay $18k for a 46mpg, 2000lb, 200whp daily driver? I mean REALLY?
I bet I could do it for a lot less then $18K.... 
Me. I don't drive enough to care about the MPG. I'd rather pay $10k to build a 350whp 2000lb car that gets mid high 20s on the highway.
I certainly wouldn't turn down this Insight if it was given to me, though.
But even if we stick with Hondas, it'd be easy to duplicate all of this for well under that price, and what little gas mileage less you would get, you can apply towards the price difference.
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