>Power to weight ratio and sheer size are the strikes against the 911. There
>is no way to get a 911 anywhere near the power to weight ratio of a Lotus.
The numbers I've heard from several sources are about 1500 lbs. for the Elan
with up to 150 hp. For an early 911 with a fully prepped 3.2L motor, I've
heard roughly 2200 lbs. and 250 hp. So the 911 appears to have the
advantage as far as hp/weight. However, given similar hp/weight ratios, the
smaller lighter car will usually have a significant advantage for autox,
assuming its suspension design doesn't totally suck (but the more powerful
car will often be faster on a road race course).
As far as cost, there was a guy here in the mid-Atlantic area (from PA, I
think, and the last name was Newman?) who built a '69 or '70 911 with a
well-prepped 3.2L motor and Carrera suspension, flares, etc. He was selling
it a couple of years ago for about $20K I believe. Granted, these deals are
rare, and it would probably cost you twice that much to build one from
scratch, but I know of three similarly prepped cars in my area that each
sold for under $20K. BTW, does anyone know where this car is now?
Brad Burns
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