1987 LVC LF2
Essentially the answer to the question “What if my CSR156 entry were a front-engined, rear-drive, four-seater, powered by an all-alloy flat-four?”
The reason it’s here is that it’s not really a dedicated sports car, as my actual entry was - but its performance potential (983.6kg curb weight, distributed 52.5%/47.5% front-to-rear) would have made it an ideal Group A homologation special for the 2000cc class, as shown here.
Its all-alloy 2.0L flat-four delivers 150 bhp to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox and geared LSD.
This trim lacks ABS and power steering for cost and reliability’s sake, limiting its cost to just $12,500.
OK, so it’s not as attention-grabbing on the outside, but it’s more practical on the inside and doesn’t use all of the budget (either upfront or in terms of fuel, running, and service costs).
As Yoda would say, “Size matters not”. The LF2 is not just a light car, but also a small one, being less than 1.7m wide and well under 3.8m long, allowing it to squeeze through narrow roads with ease.
And although it only has struts up front and semi-trailing arms at the rear, it’s still an all-independent suspension setup - one that’s been tuned for agile handling without causing unmanageable oversteer or excessive loss of comfort.