No, it's not what you think from the subject line

Looking back through some old copies of Mini Magazine I came across a car called a Lolita. So named because the guy who built it used to work for Lola and he built it like a little Lola. There was a Mk1 and a Mk2, the first car having a tubular space frame the later car being Ali semi monocoque. The earlier car is styled like a seven, which doesn't really work. The later car looks like a Can Am car and is much nicer.

Anyhow the unique thing about these cars is that the Mini engine and transmission is tilted forwars 60 degrees. It's a really neat solution as it keeps the rear of the car nice and low and shifts the centre of mass forward and down. I can't for the life of me figure out how the got the gear change to work - but I'm thinking hard.

Gareth

It wouldn't be a good idea to own one of these though would it?

Once the tabloid reading population of your local council estate (sweeping description I know but, if you remember the paedeatritian incident, they were) heard you had a lolita in your garage they'd come round and fire bomb your house!!

One of Terrapin series ( I think by memory ) had a mini engine canted foward as described, look under Allan Staniforth book Race & Rally Car Source Book which has lots of detail on these and other Formulae 750 single seaters ( just widen the cockpit area to get your mate / s in ), it is quite an informative book actually ( including using rubber bands for suspension, no don't knock it, rubber has alsorts of wonderbar properties particularly for suspension ). I always remember it competing at a local hill climb and it used to thrash all in sundry.