2007 Grabercars La Bala

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"I'm a hard working guy, but I can't afford any of the cars that I would like to own. I am just keeping afloat saving for my kids' college tuition, retirement and keeping up with the demands of day to day living. So one day I just said 'Bugger it! - I'll build my own dream sports car!' -- and there you have it. I am living my dream. La Bala is a low-compromise, from the ground-up, new car. It is built using an early model Toyota MR2 powertrain. The reality is that there are many other donor choices available that may actually be better suited to lightweight vehicle construction. At this point though, construction is far along and won't change in the original prototype. The idea is to make the car as inexpensively as possible and yet make it look like a million bucks and go like stink. I am

doing this by thinking creatively and doing much of the work myself.

What inspired me to build la Bala? Ferdinand Porsche, when asked about why he started building cars said, "I couldn't find the car of my dreams, so I decided to build it myself." Well, I simply have not been able to find a car sold stateside that combines light weight performance motoring with good looks AND low cost. Light weight, looks good, costs little and goes like stink... Can you name one? Didn't think so.

It seems to me that lately that production cars are really suffering from "feature-creep". Every year the manufacturer assumes that they have to add more "stuff" to last years model so that the people feel that they are getting an improved model. Just look at the Mitsu Eclipse or the Miata... They are perfect examples of feature creep. You can certainly buy an economical car, but it's a slug in every sense of the word. You can't buy an economical car that provides what sport bike riders get doses of every day; Big performance with bare essential trimmings. I just want a car that looks good, is extremely light, has race level safety features and goes like

stink. And while I'm at it, it should get close to 40mpg around town."

Technical Specifications:

Weight (dry) - 1,500Lbs
Length - 126"
Wheelbase - 98"

Width - 67"
Front Track - 57" (hubs)
Rear Track - 57" (hubs)
Ground Clearance - 3" - 5" (Adjustable)
Engine - 1.6L 16V 4AGE (125Hp) - or whatever FWD drivetrain you want!

The car is for sale in both turnkey-minus and self-assembly format. Pricing for the self-assembly model starts at $25,000 and is a complete package minus drivetrain and paint.

The key features of this car are its light weight (for a full-bodied car) of only 1,500Lbs, and the capability for the purchaser to utilize virtually any FWD drivetrain they desire. This is due to

the modular construction of the engine bay. Of course the lighter the engine package the better balanced the car becomes, and with a turbocharged 1.6L Toyota powerplant (in the current car) making 170Hp, the car does 0-60 in 4.3 seconds and has a F/R weight bias of 35/65. This is a street legal track car that is similar in size to a Lotus Elise. The photos I am sending show the car in full track trim. Length 124", wheelbase 98", track 57", width 67".

Grabercars is based out of Phoenix, Arizona and is only moments from Sky Harbor International Airport. We welcome prospective customers.

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Source: Grabercars