One of these cars looks like it'd be the perfect replacement for the supercar you have in mind.
Want people to think you're super rich? Then why not buy a kit car? A kit car replicates a more expensive or exotic vehicle made with cheaper materials. Kit cars are cheap but put you in the same crowd as companies like Ferrari, Porsche, and Bugatti.
Most Americans dream of owning an exotic supercar. The Ferrari, the Lamborghini, the Maserati — but most of us don't have $250,000 lying around to get such a vehicle. Moreover, even if we did have the money, most of us wouldn't buy such a vehicle because of high insurance and maintenance costs.
The Ford GT is one of the world's most famous and capable vehicles; it may be your dream car, but it also costs well over $200,000. So what do you do if you don't have that kind of money? Well, here is some advice…
Check out our list of 10 cheap kit cars that look like supercars; and will have people thinking you're super rich.
The Aldino K/O was a great kit for beginners. Most do-it-yourself car kits are difficult to assemble and require a lot of expertise on the part of the owner. The Aldino K/O used the Pontiac Fiero chassis as its basis, which meant that it was much easier to put together than many other kits.
The Aldino K/O kit is the culmination of over 20 years of design experience by Joe Palumbo, a pioneer in the kit car industry. The Aldino brand has been around for decades and is still strong today because they are easy to assemble and affordable.
Complete KitAldino Car Company offers a special price on a KIT CAR magazine subscription: $11,995-$10,995 = a $1,000 price reduction for the Complete Kit.
Whether you just want to own a late '90s Ford Mustang or you're looking to invest in some hot car that'll make people do a double take, Cobra Replicas' model will do the trick. For about $11,000 and a few hours' worths of work, you could be cruising the boulevards in this jaw-dropping Cobra replica.
Factory Five is among the best kit-car makers, and their Mk IV Cobra is identical to a classic Cobra while adding a few safety and strength improvements. It almost sounds too good to be true; this is an ideal home-build project that doesn't have the massive price tag of the original attached to it. It's hard to imagine a better father-son project than this one.
The team behind the Bauer Catfish made every effort to keep the car light by eliminating the roof, doors, and even windows. It was worth it, though—the Catfish weighs in at just 1,500 lbs (680 kgs). That’s roughly two-thirds the weight of a standard MX-5!
Want to build a kit car without spending a lot of money? The Mazda Miata MX-5 is the perfect starting point for Bauer's Catfish, as it's cheap and easy to source, and plenty of aftermarket parts are available. The Catfish kit, which costs only $14,000 and comes with everything you need to build your own car, makes this one of the most affordable kit cars on the market.
Building a replica of a supercar like the Lamborghini Countach is a huge undertaking. Without the right execution, your replica may look like an amateur project. Prova Designs has created an affordable solution with its Countach body kit. At $20,000, it's much less expensive than the real deal and looks just as cool.
If you're a serious gearhead who likes working on cars, Prova's Countach kit is for you. However, if you want an even more impressive ride, Prova also offers a turnkey model that comes with Audi V8 running gear.
Factory Five's Daytona Gen 3 kit includes everything you need to complete your car, so if you don't want to worry about anything being incompatible, this is a great choice. And at $22,000, it's surprisingly affordable.
This kit from Factory Five uses a custom-welded steel chassis and handcrafted composite body to create one of the most popular Cobra replicas on the market. It's built by hand, and if you're looking for a small block V8, you've got options ranging from Ford's Coyote engine to Chevy's aluminum LS series.
Factory Five Racing provides a number of different kits for car enthusiasts, but their signature car is the GTM. It looks like it could be a limited-run factory-built supercar, so it's surprising to learn that buyers can build one in their garage with basic tools.
The car is based on a C5 Corvette donor car, and Factory Five will provide all other components except for the transmission. Because of its popularity among kit car buyers, Factory Five says production spots for 2021 and 2022 have been filled.
For most gearheads, driving one of these legendary rally cars will remain a dream that never turns into reality—prices start at $550,000. But Lister Bell offers a full kit, minus the original's quirks, for just $35,000. Sure, it's not pocket change, but it's definitely a bargain compared to the original.
Remember that this kit has everything you need to build a modernized working Lancia Stratos rally car, complete with a 2.5-liter Alfa Romeo engine. So your only additional expense would be for an engine if you want something more powerful.
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The Caterham 420R is a classic-styled motoring experience that you can feel in your hair and bones. The wind is rushing through your hair as you accelerate on twisty roads, or a track day can't possibly get any better than with the Caterham 420R. This home-built pocket rocket can crack 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds.
The Seven 420R can trace its origins back to the Lotus 7 that debuted in 1957. The design is simple, making it popular among home mechanics. Those who don't know a hammer from a screwdriver can opt for turn-key models—complete cars ready to drive away from the dealer's lot—while more serious home tinkerers can purchase incomplete kits and build their own.
Ford's legendary Le Mans racer, the GT40, is sought after by many collectors. However, few were built, and even fewer were road-legal. This RCR40 replica kit is one of the few replicas that can be taken seriously because of its attention to detail. It will go under the hammer at auction with a top bid of $140,000.
Race Car Replicas offers three levels of their RCR40 kit: an entry-level version, an intermediate kit, and a complete option-laden kit. A DIY mechanic can spend $46,000 on their project, but the results will only be as good as the effort they put into it. However, this one finished in period-correct colors looks absolutely stunning.
Superlite's SL-C is a lightweight race car that balances performance and handling well. The car's designers wanted to ensure that builders could complete the vehicle with minimal effort and get out on the track right away.
The SL-C costs under $50,000 and uses a fiberglass body made to keep weight to a minimum. It also has an all-aluminum chassis. It looks great, but most spectators won't get much of a chance to see it because it's so fast—it can keep up with cars that cost multiple times more.
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| Rank | Company | Country |
|---|---|---|
| #1 |  Volkswagen |
Germany |
| #2 |  Toyota |
Japan |
| #3 |  Stellantis |
Netherlands |
| #4 |  Mercedes-Benz Group |
Germany |
| #5 |  Ford Motor |
United States |
| Rank | Company | Country |
|---|---|---|
| #1 |  Michelin |
France |
| #2 |  Bridgestone |
Japan |
| #3 |  Continental |
Germany |
| #4 |  Goodyear |
United States |
| #5 |  Sumitomo |
Japan |
