Anyone can buy a Formula 1 car if they are rich enough. But can they drive it on the road? Obviously not. That’s not to say there are no other options for a road-going, anti-social sports car. There is the BAC Mono R, and the McLaren Solus GT, just to name a few. Now, there is another. It is called VHPK, from niche, high-end British engineering firm Analogue Automotive.
The VHPK is essentially a restomod of the Series 1 Lotus Elise. However, this ain’t no light surgical work. The car is a radically lightweight reimagining built around, wait for it… a central driving position. That’s right. It completely eliminates the passenger seat that the original accommodates. You no longer need an excuse for refusing someone a lift. The engineering department has handled that.
First announced in September 2025, the VHPK has now reached its first completed customer build. This example wears bespoke PK Purple paint, matching Alcantara inside, and contrasting gold exhaust tips. The purple specification is unique to this car, rather than something all 35 planned examples have to wear.
Each build starts with an Elise stripped to its bare chassis. Ultralight carbon-fiber bodywork replaces the original panels, using molds produced from CNC-milled patterns through techniques also used in aerospace and F1. Carbon interior trim and a single carbon bucket seat help bring wet weight below 600 kg (1,322 lbs). That’s with fluids, btw.
Power comes from a rebuilt, naturally aspirated K-Series engine enlarged from 1.8 to 1.9 liters. Bespoke billet and forged internals help it produce 250 bhp, paired with a Quaife PG1 five-speed close-ratio manual gearbox and limited-slip differential. No engine swap or turbo required. Analogue quotes 400 bhp per tonne. Turns out removing nearly everything is also a way of making an engine more impressive.
The central seating arrangement takes inspiration from the single-seat Elises of the Autobytel Lotus Championship. Bespoke wide-track suspension, lightweight aluminum uprights and steering arms, and multi-way adjustable passive dampers support the motorsport connection.
Forged wheels, ultralight hubs, and 300 mm carbon-ceramic brakes reduce unsprung weight, with four-piston front calipers doing the squeezing. Optional carbon wheels shave off another 12 kg (26.5 lbs), and buyers can specify fully active suspension.
Other weight-saving measures include a stainless-steel exhaust, lightweight wiring loom, and 48-liter aluminum fuel tank. Options include exposed carbon bodywork, a carbon hardtop, electric air conditioning, and Motec data logging. You can decline passengers without also declining cold air.
The Analogue Automotive VHPK is available to order, limited to 35 individually numbered examples worldwide. Prices start at £350,000 plus taxes (~US$473,000)—including the donor Elise.
At least you won’t have someone beside you asking how much you spent. 😂
Images: Analogue Automotive.
