McLaren F1 Replica Could be Yours for €35,000 / US$45,000

"Just in case if you wanna buy the cheapest McLaren F1 on the planet", Carscoop reader Marek tells us in his email and points us to this replica of the famed supercar designed by Gordon Murray that has been listed for sale by a used-car dealer in Poland.

We'll leave it to you to decide if it's a convincing clone of the original McLaren F1, but we will tell you that it ain't got a 618-horsepower BMW M-prepped 6.1-liter V12 residing behind the passenger compartment.

Instead, this creation sports an Audi-sourced V6 30v engine with an unspecified displacement, which could deliver anywhere from 190 to 250-horses, depending on the version.

The seller did not disclose any further information on the McLaren F1 replica, which carries a price of 150,000 Polish Zlotych or about €35,000 / US$45,000.

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A Chinese Man Builds an Eco-Friendly Hummer from Scratch for $630

Chinese regulators may have had little affection for the Hummer brand when they shunned the deal between General Motors and Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co., Ltd. in early 2010, but there's at least one man in the world's most populous country that has a lot love left for the maker of the H1.

His name is Qu Zhibo and he is from the city of Zhigong in China's Hainan province. For three years, Zhibo worked on a special project to develop the most eco-friendly Hummer you will ever lay eyes upon.

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1999 Honda Civic Coupe "Converted to a 2011 BMW M3"

We know what some of you may be thinking upon viewing the pictures, and to answer your first question, no, this is not Acura's upcoming ILX luxury compact model that is slated to debut in Detroit in January. Instead, it's one of those bizarre creations we occasionally find over at the crazy world of Craigslist.

Much like the Saab 900S Convertible turned into a Cadillac of some sorts that we showed you last week, this 1999 Honda Civic Coupe is supposed to resemble a BMW.

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Attention, Serious Buyers Only: 1995 Cadillac 900S Convertible

From the 1980s right through to the beginning of the 21st century, General Motors tried its best to simplify the art of badge engineering as a cheap and easy way to expand its offerings and increase its profits.

Apparently, some of GM's enthusiasm for badge-trickery managed to rub off on certain consumers like the owner of this 1995 Saab who artfully transformed the open-top model into the Cadillac 900S Convertible in a way that a 1990s GM exec would say, "why didn't I think of that?"

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BMW 325i Convertible E30 wants to be an 8-Series when it Grows Up

While there's only a single digit gap between the E30 and E31 codenames, in reality, these two BMW models couldn't be more different from each other.

The E30, a.k.a. the 1983-1991 3-Series, represented the firm's entry-level family car in the 1980s, while the E31, more widely known as the 8-Series, was the brand's flagship GT coupe in the 1990s.

But one German owner had the bright idea of taking a 1989 325i Convertible (albeit with pre-1987 tail lamps) and fusing the front end of an 850i Coupe on its nose. Of course, there was a slight problem with the width of the 8-Series fascia that was solved by…removing one of the BMW kidney grilles.

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Oh China…Yema Auto Presents Clones of the Audi A4, VW Tiguan and Infiniti EX

Not too long ago, in a country far, far away, Yema Auto presented a clone of the previous generation Subaru Forester. The years passed and the force behind Yema Auto became stronger and stronger…

At this week's Chengdu Auto Show 2011, the Chinese automaker unleashed a second attack with a new breed of clones named the E-SUV, T-SUV and the F16.

In all cases, the pictures speak louder than words and it doesn't take an avid automobile aficionado to see that the T-SUV is a blatant rip-off of the Volkswagen Tiguan, the E-SUV China's doppelganger of the Infiniti EX crossover and the F16 and its commercial E-TAXI sibling, copies of the older Audi A4 Avant.

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It Came from eBay Hell: The Diabolical Lambieroghini [with Video]

With the amount of free publicity I give Pontiac Fiero-based replicas on eBay, I think the sellers should be paying me…ahem…a commission.

From the vulgar depths of eBay Hell comes this...thing...this yellow-painted monstrosity that wants to pass as a Lamborghini. There are kids in Nepal, kids who have never seen a car before that would spot this fake from a mile away. Let’s run down our eBay Bad Buy™ checklist, shall we?

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Jean’s Back: 2012 Delahaye USA Bella Figura Type 57S Enters Production

It may have taken three years but at last Delahaye USA’s Bella Figura Type 57S is available for purchase. The Long Valley, NJ based specialist vehicle manufacturer has taken its design inspiration from Jean Bugatti’s legendary Type 57S coupe of the 1930s and ‘40s and modified it to fit a stretched and widened platform.

Using cutting edge materials such as carbon fibre and polished aluminium, Delahaye USA’s describes their new offering as, “much more than a replica”.

With air conditioning, power brakes and steering, electric windows and a choice of engine and transmission options, this certainly appears true.

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It Came From eBay Hell: 2012 Faresi Concept Car

Grab onto to something before you read this, but if the eBay seller of this car is to be believed, Faresi is a name soon to be held in the same high regard as Ettore Bugatti and Enzo Ferrari.

What makes this all the more funny is when one looks at his 2007 Pontiac Solstice-based Faresi Concept Car that’s currently advertised on eBay. The seller expects this Frankenstein monster of a car to “be very collectable in the future, maybe even worth millions.”

Mr. Faresi, who’s unknown to the internet except in this ad, has been designing cars for donkey’s years and is an automotive heavyweight. His Solstice-based creation takes, “ideas from the most beautiful super sports cars in the world”.

Among these beautiful cars are the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, Koenigsegg Agera, BMW Z8 and 1950s Corvette. Sadly, the Faresi Concept Car is not in the same class. Heck, it could very well be in a class of its own.

With less than 2,000 miles on the clock the Faresi features a rebuilt engine (always a good sign), turbo intercooler, custom headers, competition shocks, custom exhaust, factory alarm and “James Bond style Alarm” (whatever that is – maybe it fires missiles?).

The mighty 2.4L 4cyl is said to give the Faresi Concept Car a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.9 (0 to 100 km/h) seconds, which is on par with many modern sport models.

“This car gets more attention than many $300K+ super sport cars,” though probably not for the reasons the seller imagines.

If you have the stomach for it, you can check out our complete gallery of images below.

By Tristan Hankins

Editor's Note: The designer and eBay seller of the 2012 Faresi Concept No 00001 sent us this email describing the car and the idea behind its creation in his own words:

I believe that everyone is entitle to it's own opinion, but calling it a "Frankenstein Monster" is too funny! to each it's own I guess!, most people think is a very beautiful cool looking car, that is why people take pictures of the car and take pictures with the car also!

You can see more pictures of the car and pictures of the super sports cars, from witch Mr. Faresi was inspired by in the making of his first Faresi concept shown here!

How the Faresi car was created; Have you ever looked at the best cars in the world and said, (for example), I wish I had a car with a Ferrari front that has Koenigsegg head lights and Lamborghini doors with Alfa Romeo rear, with Aston Martin side look, and a BMW side Vents, but that has an American reliable engine that is fast but economic on gas, that I can drive every day and is low in maintenance, that is also exotic and beautiful, and I am not going to see someone else driving one on the next block....... and the next block after that, and that I do not have to spend over $300K for it.

I'm sure you have, well that is what Mr. Faresi also said, after owning just about every brand of sport car out there, (has owned more than 350 cars) and now has created the \"Faresi Car\" a sports car that was born by being inspired by the best super sports cars of the world, put in one......to make the # 00001 Faresi.

Every were the car goes people love it! this is one of the reasons why, this car was made inspired by a few sports cars, and this 3 were included and they were voted the 3 most beautiful cars in the world"

Mr. Faresi has been doing something right, and it looks like he is in the right track! He is already working in building his first production car, this one will have it's own chassis and body!, once is in production, then this first concept car based Solstice could become very collectable!

Sincerely,

Mr Fuad Faresi

PHOTO GALLERY

It Came from eBay Hell: Porsche 959 Replica Based on a…Porsche 356 Replica

Two of the most egregious of Porsche replicas to be found on eBay are those of the 356 of the 1950s and ‘60s and the 959 of the late 1980s. Both these cars were legends of their times and are rightly regarded as classics today.

So it’s no surprise that replicas are especially widespread and varying in quality from the very good to the very bad. On the latter end of this very broad spectrum is this 959 replica, which is evidently based on a –hold on- a…Porsche 356 replica.

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Made in China: Scion / Toyota iQ Copy Wants to Conquer Europe […]

It may have been a while since we last showed you a "Made in China" doppelganger, but rest assured, the economic giant from Asia, never sleeps.

As if it weren't troublesome enough that China reaps all the benefits of free trade to sell its products everywhere while enforcing all kind of rules when it comes to imports (did you know, for example, that only 20 foreign films are allowed for release in China each year?) or opening a local business, the country has also established notoriously lax patent and copyright laws.

While not in significantly large numbers, many Chinese companies have targeted the automotive industry creating various knock offs of European and Japanese vehicles. Longtime Carscoop reader John F.T. from Norway* discovered yet another copy while browsing on a local online marketplace.

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Starship Trooper: Mercedes-Benz Bodied Acura Integra Convertible

If you’re still with us and haven’t gone out looking for a bug swatter, there’s more of this lime-green creation to be seen in the video after the jump.

Judging from the cuts on the front fenders and the shape of the bonnet, we reckon it’s a mid-1990s Acura Integra Coupe.

The proud owner of the vehicle chopped off the roof to turn the Japanese coupe into a convertible model and then proceeded with the styling transformation that includes a custom body kit imitating the looks of many Mercedes-Benz roadsters and the customary trick doors.

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It Came From eBay Hell: Custom Made Canadian “Woodie”

One of my all-time favourite cars is the 1948 Ford Super Deluxe. The station wagon and Sportsman convertible variants were the last true “woodies” and in my mind the best looking of the bunch.

On the opposite end of the scale is this hand-built woodie pick-up from Quebec, Canada. It’s like a child’s drawing of a pick-up truck come to life or maybe the first car designed and built exclusively by the Amish.

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Saab 9-6: Subaru-Based Crossover Prototype Comes out of the Closet

Back in the corporate heydays of GM, before the Detroit automaker went bust, the General would re-badge just about anything it could get its hands on if it were to make a fast buck without breaking a sweat.

This lazy corporate mentality was not only limited to GM’s American products but it spread throughout the entire company. Saab and even Subaru were subjected to this crude process, which was mostly limited to swapping badges and grilles.

When GM controlled the fate of Saab and held a 20 percent share of Subaru, the Detroit company's executive gurus came up with the bright idea of re-badging Subaru models as higher-end Saabs and selling them for a premium.

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Lamborghini Sues Las Vegas Business for Using its Raging Bull Logo

Italian supercar maker Lamborghini has unleashed a snarling pack of lawyers against the owners of an exotic car showroom, merchandise gallery and restaurant at the Palazzo resort in Las Vegas.

Lamborghini’s lawsuit claims that the companies that operate Dal Toro Exotic Car Showroom, Merchandise Gallery and Ristorante Italiano have been using the brand’s raging bull logo.

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It Came From eBay Hell: Mercury Cougar Based Bugatti Veyron Replica

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. Of all the cars I’ve featured in “It Came From eBay Hell”, this one takes the cake. It’s a 2002 Mercury Cougar with 120,000 miles (193,120 kilometres) on the clock, though that’s not what makes it special. No, what makes it special is the composite and fibreglass Bugatti Veyron body draped over it.

That’s right: it’s a Cougatti Vercuryon! Not only does this modern masterpiece come with (Walmart™ Brand) 20-inch rims, two-tone paint and leather everything, it also comes with all the stuff that made the Mercury Cougar the modern classic it is today:

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It Came From eBay Hell: Triumph TR3 with an Italian Body and an American Heart

Much like Christine in the Stephen King novel of the same name, this 1957 Triumph TR3 Special began life as nothing more than a…car. Since then it’s mutated into this thing that sports a faux-Ferrari body and a Chevy 350 V8 under the hood. Read more »

Pole Turns 1991 Audi 100 V6 into a 2008 Audi A4 Lookalike

The latest addition to our automotive travesty replica section comes from Poland and it concerns a 1991 Audi 100 2.8 V6 Quattro (the A6’s predecessor) which has been stylistically converted to remind a 2005 Audi A4 sedan. To achieve the look, the Polish owner of the car crafted the front and rear end sections of an A4 to the 100 saloon. But that’s not all he did. Read more »

Would You or Wouldn’t You: Fiero-Based Lamborghini Diablo Replica with BMW V12 Power

If a Fiero-based Ferrari replica is a “Fierrari”, then I figure its Lamborghini equivalent must be a “Lambieroghini”. Here’s one such monstrosity for sale on eBay, though on closer inspection there’s a lot to like about it.

For one, though it’s incomplete, much of the grunt work has already been done. The unpainted fibreglass body that replicates the Diablo VT 6.0's styling has been mated to the tubular steel frame and the gas door struts, power window motors and headlights have all been installed.

Also, the brake rotors are from a Corvette and the wheels are genuine 2004 Lamborghini Murciélago 18-inch stock clad in Pirelli P-Zero rubber.

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