Samba spirit: Lobini H1

Brazil is justly famous for many things: football, mardi gras and some unusual hair cuts.

Sports cars don't feature high on the country's list of famous exports, even if you include the curious Volkswagen Puma of the 1970s.

Lobini of Sao Paulo is out to change that. Its lightweight H1 sports car is about the size of a Lotus Elise and shares the Brit's lightweight philosophy.

The simple chassis and fibreglass bodywork keep the weight down, while a 1.8-litre 20-valve turbocharged engine from VW and six-speed gearbox sit just behind the cockpit.

Lobini reckons its car will crack 0-62mph in six seconds and carry on to 150mph, and the firm also says the handling is up to Elise standards.

The H1 is on sale in the US with a price tag around $47,000 and there are plans to bring it to the UK at a cost of £31,995 from the beginning of 2007.

© Source: original article on topgear