20 Kit Cars That Won't Break The Bank

There are really only two ways to build your own sports car in the modern market: Either have deep enough pockets to convince a major manufacturer to design a model especially for you, or get your hands dirty and buy a kit car. The main advantage of a kit car is that it offers a lot more scope for customization than buying a regular sports car does — for example, builders usually have a choice of engines, and can add as many aftermarket upgrades as they like without having to worry about invalidating a warranty.

There's also the satisfaction of being able to say that you built your own car rather than bought it, and that's an accolade that even multimillionaire collectors who commission one-off specials can't lay claim to. Not to mention, a kit car is nearly always a lot more affordable than buying an equivalent turn-key sports car, with many kits costing less than $25,000, yet offering head-turning looks and track-ready performance when they're finished.

Turning one Jaguar into another sounds like a tempting prospect, when the outcome is the curvaceously iconic C Type roadster. Even Jaguar itself couldn't resist revisiting, with its limited run of C-Type Continuation models like the one shown above. Where Jaguar's version set back a handful of buyers $1.4-$2.7 million apiece, U.K.-based Realm Engineering Ltd. promises something a whole lot more affordable. 

Its Heritage C Type kit taking the running gear of more mundane Jaguar models like the XJ6, and reworking them into a lookalike of a car that — if authentic — would cost millions at classic auction. Two kits are offered, a £9,975 (approx. $13,200 before tax) Chassis Plus kit with the space frame, roll bars, steering arms, and more, and a £6,850 (approx. $9,100 before tax) Bodywork Plus kit with composite panels for the hood, center section, and more. Realm will happily supply the appropriate wire wheels and even a pair of period-suitable horns.

The Vaydor hit the headlines in 2016 when it was featured as the Joker's car in the movie "Suicide Squad," and it's still available to buy today. It uses an Infiniti G35 Coupe as a donor, and unlike many of the other kit cars here, it uses the donor car's stock chassis and most of its internals. The kit is available in parts, with the main body kit costing $16,000, and a variety of extras including custom interior parts and scissor door hinges. Buying everything apart from the interior upholstery kit will set buyers back a comparatively steep $23,800.

The kit includes features like a head-up display and 360-degree cameras to make it more driver-friendly than most other kit cars. The G35's engine bay can house LS, 2JZ, or LT engines, and Carolina Vaydor recommends upgrading from the donor car's engine if possible. The company estimates that most builds will cost around $40,000 in total, although with the caveat that this is an estimate for experienced builders, and anyone needing to hire help may have to pay even more. Still, builders with enough technical experience and a cheap donor G35 can build themselves a unique car with both supercar looks and supercar levels of performance at a fraction of an actual supercar's cost.

Original Daytona Coupes both define Carroll Shelby's legacy and cost millions, so even seeing one in real life is near impossible, never mind driving it. Factory Five offers a solution though, as the Type 65 Coupe is about as close as it's possible to get to the real thing without having an eight-figure bank account. Two versions of the kit are available, with the cheaper kit requiring a Mustang donor car and costing $17,990. For $5,000 extra, a "complete kit" is available that only requires a powertrain, wheels, and paint.

The complete kit can fit small block Ford 302, 351, and 5.0-liter Coyote engines, and there are plenty of aftermarket power upgrades that are available for each of them. There's a choice of either vintage or modern gauges and switches, so builders can choose whether to go for period-correct looks or modern convenience. Both left-hand drive and right-hand drive configurations are available, and Factory Five offers worldwide shipping upon request. There's no way the average enthusiast will ever be able to sit behind the wheel of an original Daytona Coupe, but kit cars like this one offer drivers the next best thing.

Factory Five is one of the best-known American kit car makers, and for good reason. The company makes a variety of affordable kits, the most retro of those being the '33 Hot Rod. Available in either two stages for $10,990 each or $20,990 for the complete kit, the '33 Hot Rod is a little different from many other kit cars in that it doesn't rely on a donor car. Instead, Factory Five fabricates everything including the chassis, body, suspension, and interior in-house, leaving only the drivetrain for the builder to source independently.

Factory Five's president Dave Smith has said that the focus when designing the Hot Rod kit was to improve performance and drivability over a traditional hot rod build, and to keep things simple by offering all the parts in one place. The design originally debuted at the 2008 SEMA show, and the second-generation kit is now available to order from Factory Five's website.

Genuine Shelby Cobras are both extremely rare and extremely valuable, with the most sought-after examples selling for more than $5 million at auction. That makes them unobtainable to all but the wealthiest collectors, but thankfully there's a booming replica market that allows enthusiasts to drive their own Cobra for a much more reasonable price. One of the most popular replica kits is Factory Five's Mk4 Roadster, which retails for $20,990 for the complete kit. Like most kit cars, it doesn't include an engine or transmission, and the wheels and tires also have to be purchased separately.

Builders, therefore, have the choice of whether to focus on budget or performance, although most builders will prefer to spend a little extra to make sure their Cobra is as fast as it looks. Factory Five offers comprehensive instructions on how to build the car, with only regular tools required for assembly. There's no option to buy a turn-key version of the Mk4 Roadster, but the kit maker says it can work with buyers to find a suitable shop to build the car if they're not comfortable assembling it on their own.

It's still early days for the Arma GT kit supercar — it first launched in 2022, and at the time of writing, it seems very few examples of the kit have been sold so far. That's no bad thing, however, at least for anyone looking for a really unique build. It starts at $24,000 CAD (roughly $18,150 USD), but like most of the other kits here, things like the powertrain, tires, and interior upholstery are the responsibility of the buyer. Not the cheapest build, then, but still considerably less expensive than buying a supercar from an established manufacturer.

The car's mid-engine layout and low-slung design take inspiration from exotic cars from the likes of Ferrari and McLaren, but a much more home-grown powerplant is recommended for assembly. Depending on budget, Arma advises that buyers use either an LS2, LS3, or LT4 engine, with at least 400 horsepower on tap to give the car the performance to match its looks. The company also notes that the kit can be adapted to work with electric motors, with modifications to fit a battery pack available upon request.

Based on the Lotus Seven, GBS — or Great British Sports Cars – offers a kit called the Zero, and U.S. shipping is available straight from the factory. At current exchange rates, the Zero kit works out to around $17,430, including the 5% export fee. Buyers in other markets can also buy a turn-key version, although this isn't available for North America.

The American-spec Zero kit is designed to use the Mazda Miata as a donor car, with both Mk1 and Mk2 models being suitable. Like most other Miata-based kit cars, it's possible to use the stock Miata's engine for assembly, although modifications can be easily added. It might be similar to its competition in some respects, but the Zero's unique front-mid engine layout ensures near-perfect 50:50 weight distribution, setting it apart from similar Lotus Seven-based creations.

Based in the Czech Republic, B-racing offers multiple versions of its K-1 Attack kit car, spanning a variety of donor vehicles. While pricing starting from $18,500 for a complete kit for gas-powered donors means it isn't the cheapest option on this list, B-racing's pitch is that you get a simpler assembly overall. In fact, the company claims that only a basic mechanic's toolset is required for its latest version, without any cutting or welding involved.

The result can be built atop donor vehicles from various generations of Honda Accord, through the Toyota MR1, Honda Civic, and Acura TSX. Or, there's a $16,500 kit intended for electric donors, including a Tesla rear axle unit.

[Featured image by Michi1308 via Flickr | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 2.0]

The Porsche 356 is one of the company's most iconic cars, and over 76,000 examples were manufactured. More than half of those were exported to America, but the vast majority have long since been consigned to the scrap heap, with rust being the car's biggest killer. This has led to a booming 356 replica market, with California-based Vintage Motorcars offering a visually identical replica based on a VW Beetle chassis. Called the Speedster, the car is available either as a kit or as a turn-key vehicle, with the Stage 1 kit costing just $15,000.

The initial kit only includes the fiberglass body, steel sub-frame, doors, and bumpers, so there's a lot of extra work to do for builders. However, it's still possible to find a cheap donor Beetle, and the Speedster is designed to accommodate a number of engines to keep costs down. A regular Type 1 engine can be fitted, but the kit is also compatible with Type IV (Porsche 914) engines and Subaru water-cooled engines, too.

Given its perennial popularity, it's no surprise that the Lotus Seven continues to inspire plenty of kit car makers, and that includes U.K.-based MNR Sportscars. Its VortX RT is one of the more flexible of the kits on offer, though, with versions to suit a variety of donors from both cars and motorcycles. That includes the popular 1.6-liter Mazda engine used in certain generations of MX-5 Miata, along with Toyota's 1.8-liter.

Imported in the U.S. by Fast Craft Motorsport, a Miata-based car could be pieced together for under $15,000, so the promise goes. That includes adjustable front shocks, a quicker-ratio steering rack, quick rear camber adjustment, and Pro Tech rear shocks. Intermediate and Finishing kit packages can help put the finishing touches to a road- or track-ready racer.

As well as making replica kits of some of America's greatest cars, Factory Five has also designed its own unique sports car, the 818. It's available in roadster (818S), racing (818R), and coupe (818C) form, although it's the coupe that's arguably the most versatile option of the three. Like all of the company's cars, the 818's focus is on performance and handling, although it's arguably one of the best-looking kit sports cars on the market, too. The 818 uses running gear from the Subaru Impreza/WRX, but a lightweight chassis and panels keep its curb weight down to just 1,800 pounds (818 kilograms, hence the name).

The kit costs $13,990, and Factory Five claims that, with a suitably cheap donor car, it's possible to get the 818 on the road for less than $15,000. Many of the Impreza/WRX's parts can be bolted straight onto the 818, including the front and rear spindles, steering rack, and pedal box. The Impreza's stock engine also fits neatly into the 818's engine bay, although builders looking for maximum performance can take advantage of the Subaru's extensive aftermarket to squeeze every last bit of horsepower out of the trusty Boxer engine.

Hot rods have long been one of the most popular ways to build a unique car, but it's no longer as easy to find affordable classic cars to modify. Instead, the most cost-effective way to build a hot rod is now to use a kit car like the AC Autos '32 Ford Sxedan & Delivery, and it's a relatively easy option too, assuming the builder has some previous experience working on cars. The kit's fiberglass body can be purchased separately for $6,995, and the stock frame is available for $3,495.

Alternatively, a rolling chassis is available for $8,995, including extras like brakes and shocks. For a rolling chassis and a body, buyers will be looking at a total of $12,490. Engine and powertrain are still the responsibility of the buyer, but with a car that looks this mean, it's definitely advisable to get an appropriately beefy V8 under the hood.

Buying a Hummer H1 is prohibitively expensive for many people, but Urban Gorilla offers a Hummer-style kit that's a fraction of the price. The 4x4 Bodies kit can be optioned in either two-door, four-door, or six-door form, with either Combat or Slant Back bodywork available. In its cheapest form, the kit costs just $9,995, with optional fiberglass doors costing a further $995 each. A variety of trucks can be used as donor vehicles, with standard-cab, long-bed pickups from any major American manufacturer being generally okay to use, according to the brand's website.

Various upgrades and interior packages are available, leaving buyers free to either leave their build as a spartan, all-terrain military-style affair, or deck it out with the latest tech and luxury upholstery. In addition to the cost of the kit, Urban Gorilla reminds buyers that the price of window and windshield glass will also need to be factored in, as the kit does not come with windows included. Even accounting for glass and a few interior upgrades, however, the 4x4 Bodies kit is still going to be significantly cheaper than buying a real Hummer, yet it'll be just as imposing.

The 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt is far from the most remarkable of cars, but DF offers a kit that can transform it into a bare-bones street-racing machine. Once a suitable donor car has been acquired, the base-spec Goblin kit will set buyers back a further $9,500. DF claims that assembling the Goblin is "even easier than flat pack furniture," as only basic tools are required. After assembly, most builds weigh around 1,500 to 1,600 pounds, making even the base-spec Cobalt's 145 horsepower engine more than powerful enough. However, the Goblin kit is designed to be compatible with any Cobalt engine, so buyers looking for serious performance should opt for the Cobalt SS Turbo's 260 horsepower 2.0-liter engine.

According to DF's website, a Goblin with a Cobalt SS Turbo engine should be capable of 0-60 mph in approximately 3.25 seconds, making it faster than a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat off the line. Its mid-mounted engine and light curb weight should make it sharp around corners, too, allowing drivers to keep up with cars that cost three or four times as much both on the straights and in the twisties.

It might not be the best-looking kit car on the market, but few can top the Exomotive Exocet for affordable performance. With a starting price of just $7,999 for the base-spec kit, the Exocet uses a Mazda Miata as a donor car but strips away all the unnecessary pieces to make an ultra-lightweight track day toy. For an extra $300, buyers can add a roll bar that brings the car up to competition requirements, and for a further $700, there's an off-road kit available for drivers who prefer the trail to the track.

American-market Exocets are built under license by Exomotive, but the original design was created by designer Steve Mills, whose company Mills Extreme Vehicles (MEV) produces the car for the U.K. and European markets. Exomotive Exocets require either an NA or NB Miata as a donor car, but MEV-manufactured kits are also compatible with the NC generation Miata. The Exocet uses the Miata's stock engine, but there's a huge aftermarket for tuner parts, so Exocet owners can easily upgrade their car's power output should they wish.

Few kits cars are quite as revered as the Meyers Manx, and in March 2023, it was announced that the Meyers Manx Remastered kit would be launched with some key changes over the original. The kit was redesigned with help from Audi TT designer Freeman Thomas, and it adds new features including a lockable trunk at the rear, and new wiring tubes. The fiberglass body panels have also been tweaked using 3D modeling software for a more precise fit than before, and a range of 64 new colors are available, including many with metal flake paint options.

All the basics remain the same — buyers will still have to find their own donor VW Beetle chassis, plus an engine and transmission. Pricing for the Remastered kit starts at $6,850, although choosing metal flake paint will add an extra $1,000 to the total cost. A UV clear coat is also available for a further $800.

Due to their niche customer base and limited profit margins, it's common for kit car designs to be sold between manufacturers over their lifetimes, as one company runs out of cash and another buys its assets. The Riot kit car is a good example, as it was originally released by Sylva Autokits, winning Complete Kit Cars Magazine's Kit Car of the Year shortly after it was unveiled in 2005. The design was then sold to another small British company, Xmoor Motorsports, who revamped the design and released it as the Riot Classic in 2013.

Riot's website lists the Classic starter kit for just £4,595 (approximately $5,870) plus taxes, making it one of the cheapest sports car kits on the market. This includes a chassis, body, and wheels, with a selection of Ford EcoBoost powertrains available for an extra cost. The engine is mid-mounted, and with Riot's recommended 1.6-liter Ford 4-cylinder fitted, it can produce 210 horsepower. That's plenty considering the car weighs a paltry 480 kilograms (1,058 pounds). 

While retro roadsters and head-turning coupes are often the go-to for kit car companies, sporting models aren't the only options out there. U.K.-based Dakar 4x4 starts with the guts of the legendary Range Rover or Defender SUVs, reworking their engine, chassis, suspension, and four-wheel-drive system into a go-anywhere off-roader.

With styling that's leagues away from the sensible, body design of the original Range Rover Classic or Discovery Series 1, the Dakar 4x4 is smaller and promises to be more nimble. Prices start from £3,995 (approx. $5,300) for the comprehensive conversion kit, and Dakar 4x4 also has a Hibak version which turns the SUV into a small, two-seater pickup.

[Featured image by Brian Snelson via Flickr | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]

Burton Car Company is a kit manufacturer based in the Netherlands, and its Sportscar kit is a great affordable alternative to buying a classic European sports car. The kit itself starts at €4,499, roughly $4,910, although the donor car required is a Citroën 2CV. The 2CV might be an easy car to source in Europe, but it's going to be significantly trickier to find an affordable one in the U.S. However, there's another way — Burton also offers pre-built kit cars starting from around €15,000 ($16,370), which can be shipped straight over to America.

The company claims to have supplied over 1,300 examples of the Sportscar to various countries around the world, including the U.S., but shipping quotes are available on a case-by-case basis. It might not be quite as easy to source as some of the other kits here, but the uniquely European styling of the Burton Sportscar means it'll turn plenty of heads, and owners are almost guaranteed never to see anyone else driving one.

Have you ever wanted to turn your Audi sedan into a pickup truck? Well, the Smyth Audi A4/S4 Ute kit lets you do exactly that, for the very reasonable price of $3,990 — assuming you already have an Audi on hand, of course. The kit is compatible with any A4 or S4 between the 2003 and 2007 model years, and it gives the car a look that's certain to draw a lot more attention than any regular Audi ever could.

The rear half of the passenger cabin is removed altogether to create a bed that's more spacious than one might expect for a sedan-based truck. The kit itself might be cheap, but the build will require appropriate tools to chop up the car in the first place — this is far from a bolt-on job and is definitely only suitable for builders who have plenty of previous experience modifying cars. The manufacturer also notes that tail lights are not included in the kit, and they'll have to be sourced from an Acura MDX. It might be one of the stranger kits here, but for anyone set on doing something drastic with their Audi sedan, it doesn't get much more head-turning than this.

We selected kit car kits based on maximum pricing of $25,000. That should include the kit itself, though not the cost of any donor vehicle, engineering work, or professional assistance. Pricing for non-U.S. kits has been converted, using exchange rates at initial time of publication, and should be used as guidance only. Import duties, local and foreign tax, and other fees may apply, and vendors were active online at time of publication.