Matt Farah Drives Kit Car With Mid-Mounted 400 HP Subaru Engine

You might think that a Porsche 718 Cayman is your only choice for a mid-engined sportscar with a turbocharged flat-four. But the 818C ticks the same boxes; you just have to put all those boxes together yourself.

The kit can be yours for as little as $13,000, including the frame, suspension, body, but not the engine. This guy went with 2.5-liter boxer out of a 2006 Subaru WRX that's been dialed up to 400 horsepower. Matt says the engine has been set up perfectly. In fact, the only thing he criticizes is the fact that the pedal box doesn't let him heel-toe.


The name of the 818 series is derived from the fact that the whole car weighs only 818 kilograms. When the engine is taken into consideration, you've still got only around 2,000 pounds to deal with.

With a power-to-weight ratio similar to a supercar, this thing is fast enough. But the issue is that you don't have power steering, ABS or powered brakes, so you have to be extra-careful.

The driving experience is dominated by sound. With no soundproofing or stereo, Matt can only listen to the boxer engine sucking up air through a custom airbox that feeds off the roof scoop.

While the body looks like your typical two-seater, the 818C's interior doesn't even have a passing resemblance to modern ergonomics. Tall people can't fit, there's scaffolding everywhere, and navigation duties are taken up by an iPad.

Still, a Cayman S with similar power costs from $68,000, so for a fraction of that price, you're getting most of the performance. But be prepared to spend a year of your life putting the kit together and dialing everything in, so you either need a very understanding girlfriend or no none at all.