SCUDERIA CAMERON GLICKENHAUS

[VSW]

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus 008 is a Safari version of the 004 kit car

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG) is cashing in on the Safari trend with a more rugged version of its 004 kit car. Dubbed 008 "004/MiniBoot," the new model will also be sold as a kit, with parts that can be purchased in installments, founder Jim Glickenhaus said Sunday in a Facebook post.

SCG cited everything from Porsche 959 rally cars to the dune buggy Steve McQueen drove in "The Thomas Crown Affair" as inspiration. Similar to the numerous Porsche 911 Safari builds out there, the 008 retains the basic body of the sports car it's based on, but adds a jacked-up suspension, a roof rack, a winch, and a light bar for a more rugged look.

The car will be sold without an engine, but it is designed to use a General Motors 2.2-liter 4-cylinder Ecotec crate engine and a Sadev transaxle. In contrast, the 004 uses a supercharged V-8 making 650 horsepower.

The engine will ship with mufflers and catalytic converters to satisfy regulations for home-built cars in New York State, where SCG is based. The rest of the car will meet all New York standards for home builds, SCG said.

Not all details have been finalized, but SCG expects to offer the 008 with standard rear-wheel drive and optional four-wheel drive. The company said it wants to make the car eligible for races like the Baja 1000 (where SCG scored a class win with its Boot off-roader in 2019) and Dakar Rally.

SCG is not ready to discuss pricing, but keep in mind that the 004 starts at $400,000, and that the sports car is one of SCG's less-expensive models. The previous 003 retailed for around $2 million.

In addition to building road cars, SCG plans to compete in the new World Endurance Championship Hypercar class, including an assault on the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The company's 007 race car will use a twin-turbo V-8 from French firm Pipo Moteurs, and is expected to ready by the end of this year.