Most of the eye-catching cars that pop on for sale on Bring a Trailer these days seem like the best supercars on the planet. Case in point, the pair of low-mileage Porsche Carrera GT examples that set world records one after the other this month. Or how about the Bugatti Veyron with which BaT celebrated its 50,000th listing. To a certain extent, Bring a Trailer has moved on from the original meaning of the site's name, since most of these cars do require a trailer but only because they're so incredibly valuable—not that they need work. And then other listings still provide a chance for even automotive aficionados to blink twice, like this unbelievably street-legal 1989 Evans-Kudzu Series I GT that will close today.
A True Racecar For The Streets
From the looks alone, this car should not ever drive on public roads. And the provenance suggests a similar story, since Evans-Kudzu built just two, of which this car reportedly served as the test prototype and first production model at the same time. Evans-Kudzu apparently built a number of prototype-style vehicles out of Scottsdale, Georgia, over the years and this one features an IMSA GTP-based composite body with honeycomb aluminum body panels over a semi-monocoque chassis.
Small-Block Chevy V8 Power
Mounted amidships, a 5.7-liter small-block Chevrolet V8 sends power to the rear wheels through a ZF five-speed gearbox and a limited-slip differential. The powerplant sparked quick controversy in the listing's comments, though, as a number of period stories on the Evans-Kudzu claimed that the Chevy engine produced 300 horsepower—more than enough to power a car that weighs around 2,300 pounds according to the seller—but knowledgeable people seem to believe that output might be more like 230 horses (still not bad).
A Quick-Release Steering Wheel & Even AC!
Other mechanical highlights include independent rear suspension with parts sourced from the C4-generation Corvette, plus coilovers all around. Those tires measure 315 millimeters wide at the rear and the 17-inch wheels hide a set of upgraded Baer brakes. On the interior, leather buckets look like the only creature comforts in an otherwise Spartan cockpit, complete with a removable steering wheel, plenty of instrumentation, and a full roll cage. But this car does have air conditioning, even if the seller says the system could use a recharge. Bidding currently sits just shy of $40,000 with less than two hours to go for this road-legal racecar—whether an Evans-Kudzu could be registered in California remains a dubious proposition, still.
Source: bringatrailer.com.