Man from South Africa Spends $16,700 to Build His Childhood Dream Car

Apparently, Moses Ngobeni from Giyani was looking at a lot of Corvettes growing up, because the sketch he drew of the back end looks like the C6. Whenever we see DIY-ists from India or China coming up with their designs, they only copy Ferrari and Lamborghini. So it's refreshing to see something new.

What's odd is how much money Moses says he spent to make his dream come true: 240,000 ZAR, which is equivalent to $16,700. That buys you a lot of second-hand Corvette. But maybe there aren't a lot of those in South Africa.

What's under the hood is also surprising. No, it's not a Toyota Corolla engine, not even one from the Miata. Instead, the powertrain came from the BMW 318i dating back to 1998. Barcroft Cars' graphics suggest it was good for 155 km/h or 250 km/h. However, our data suggests a more modest 128 mph or 206 km/h. This is, after all, an 118 hp primary engine for the 3 Series of that time.

But hey, at least Moses can claim that his custom-made coupe has the side glass from the BMW M3. The windshield, meanwhile, is from a VW Caddy van, but it's got more rake.

The easiest component to recognize is the headlight assembly. It comes from the 2011 Audi TT (looks like an aftermarket copy though) and has that trademark Mk2 roundness. As for the taillights, they reportedly come from the current GT-R.

Being an electrics specialist, Moses couldn't resist but to install a remote starting function with an app. Back in 1998, the 318i didn't even have push-button start, so that's quite an achievement.

Like many people with such a passion, the South African is motivated by national pride as much as his own dreams. Towards the end of the interview, the fabricator dedicates the project to the nation of his birth and hopes it will inspire others to follow in his footsteps.