For many, the 24h of Lemons is the craziest motorized race in the world. Fun is guaranteed and the most extravagant ideas are part of the show. Know some.
The 24h of Lemons, for those who don't know, is a motorized event that mixes competition with parody. It's the right stage for the craziest, daring and extravagant aspiring designers and pilots. To participate, you need to be both an engineer and a madman.
Of course, we could have magnificent track times simply by resorting to a Suzuki Swift GTi with a good coilover kit. But that was to "distort" the purpose of 24H of Lemons. A race where the ideal car is always the most unlikely to be found.
Then the rest is madness and daydreaming. How to double or triple the engine power, add a body kit made in a shed with the remains of everything and something else «et voilá»: we have a machine ready for the 24h of Lemons! From Lemons' vast lineage of machines, we highlight a few. Among them, the Honda 600 Coupé (pictured below), one of the cars that set the trend for «kei cars» – small cars with low cylinder capacity that are a success in Japan.
So far, nothing much. But (there is always a but…) in addition to all the aesthetic appendages of this Honda 600 Coupé, we have a surprise inside. The small twin-cylinder engine with just 42hp was replaced by a 200hp SAAB engine, provided by a SAAB 9000 Turbo. Result? Little Honda became a… SAANDA!
And MetroGnome, do you know?
Well actually it's just a Suzuki Swift with a CBR 1000 engine at the front and power directed to the rear axle. A Swift who is not a 24H of Lemons rookie and who has already won the event. At the time, equipped with a CBR900 engine with chain transmission to the front wheels. But because engineering challenges are never too much, its creators decided to opt for a 1000cc engine with more than 150hp and rear-wheel drive. Can you imagine the noise produced by this infernal Swift?
If by this time, you have already taken notes for future projects, we advise you to reconsider after seeing the next competitor.
Once again a Honda Z600 coupe. Basically the same dose of madness and with a paint scheme inspired by Porsche Rothmans competition cars – but instead of Rothmans, we have Rodents! Inside, another 116hp motorcycle engine, mounted in a central rear position (pictured below).
But perhaps the most ironic car of all will be the once again repeating Suzuki Swift, with a 220 horsepower Yamaha V6 engine mounted at the rear. As for the color scheme, it pays homage to the Jaguar XJR-9LM by Silk Cut, but which bears other more expressive sayings such as: “Sick Gut Gaguar”. See:
The list of "Frankencars" could continue , with settings reaching very interesting levels of originality, but what matters to retain is the fun that 24H of Lemons intends to provide to its participants. Tell us what would be your dream project (car + engine) to compete in the 24H of Lemons here, or on our social networks.
