Why are 7 type kit cars so popular?

[BertBert]

The advent of the Elise wasn't the only reason the 21 died. It was a very poor concept. It had pretty much all the bad things of the 7 and almost no redeeming features to make anyone who didn't fancy a 7 want to buy it.

[CanAm]

blueg33 said:

Ginetta G33

Bodywork, V8, rose jointed suspension

Lovely looking car, apart from the top corners of the windscreen giving an ungainly look to the sidescreens, and with the hood fitted, that area must result in a terrible blind spot.

[cerb4.5lee]

BertBert said:

The advent of the Elise wasn't the only reason the 21 died. It was a very poor concept. It had pretty much all the bad things of the 7 and almost no redeeming features to make anyone who didn't fancy a 7 want to buy it.

At the time I hadn't thought about the Elise in fairness and the impact it had on the 21, but I'm probably on my own with this, but I much preferred the way that the 21 looked in comparison to the 7 back then though.

[blueg33]

CanAm said:

blueg33 said:

Ginetta G33

Bodywork, V8, rose jointed suspension

Lovely looking car, apart from the top corners of the windscreen giving an ungainly look to the sidescreens, and with the hood fitted, that area must result in a terrible blind spot.

The corners are not the problem with the hood fit - the header rail is the problem. Never really noticed a blind spot. The hood isnt great and steaming up is a bigger problem than any blind spot. The cut corners are a problem if you are tall, as you get wind in your right eye. I made a small deflector for mine.

I loved mine, but I was doing long Euro road trips and it really wasn't the right car for that, especially if it was raining! So I went sensible and bough a Tuscan.

[Ziplobb]

broadspeed1 said:

Why are Lotus 7 style cars so popular I don't get the appeal.

sounds like you have never driven one or been a passenger

Zippys TopTip for the day:

find someone who has a Caterham R500K who can propa hustle it & get them to take you for a ride on a decent deserted A or B road and then round a track for a hot lap.
All will become clear if you dont poop yourself first

[MKnight702]

Ziplobb said:

broadspeed1 said:

Why are Lotus 7 style cars so popular I don't get the appeal.

sounds like you have never driven one or been a passenger

Zippys TopTip for the day:

find someone who has a Caterham R500K who can propa hustle it & get them to take you for a ride on a decent deserted A or B road and then round a track for a hot lap.
All will become clear if you dont poop yourself first

Yep, tell me you have never driven a 7 without telling me you haven't driven a 7. If you never try one, you just can never understand.

[AceRockatansky]

MKnight702 said:

Ziplobb said:

broadspeed1 said:

Why are Lotus 7 style cars so popular I don't get the appeal.

sounds like you have never driven one or been a passenger

Zippys TopTip for the day:

find someone who has a Caterham R500K who can propa hustle it & get them to take you for a ride on a decent deserted A or B road and then round a track for a hot lap.
All will become clear if you dont poop yourself first

Yep, tell me you have never driven a 7 without telling me you haven't driven a 7. If you never try one, you just can never understand.

I bought one after I had a go in one during a Porsche driving day. Was a one day course for Porsche drivers and at the end we did a gymkhana in a caterham. Was the best part of the day!

[finishing touch]

Many "Sevens" are home builds so keeping the the basic shape to flat surfaces makes them so much easier to form into shape.

Regards,
Paul G

[Neil_M]

broadspeed1 said:

Why are Lotus 7 style cars so popular I don't get the appeal.
Styling wise I'd give them a 0 since they're just a box. It looks off having a classic car with modern wheels and tyres too.
Has nobody come up with anything more aerodynamic? Engines are cheap why wouldn't you build something with more then 4 cylinders.
Why haven't people moved on to mid engined formula style cars, is that not the natural evolution?

I think most of your questions have been answered now. However my take on it is two fold.

One big factor is the self build. The 7 style cars have plenty of kit choices to pick from. Lego for adults or big children. That's a massive appeal to me.

The second is the performance on hand. Kits are now available for a modern four cylinder engine, so the lack of cylinders isn't a compromise. It's a much more purpose built car than a road car. Certainly from a motorsport point of view, it moves your base on massively.