Drew Scott builds and renovates properties on HGTV’s “Property Brothers,” however he additionally has a love of vehicles and determined to strive constructing a set of wheels as an alternative. The end result, which was featured within the newest episode of “Jay Leno’s Storage,” is actually distinctive.
Known as the Lanark DS, Scott’s one-off construct is an electrical roadster impressed by traditional European sports activities vehicles. Scott explains within the episode that the automobile is a tribute to his father, who stoked his enthusiasm for these vehicles. Together with the retro styling, the inside is upholstered in tartan, reflecting the Scott household’s Scottish heritage. And the identify Lanark comes from Scott’s father’s hometown in Scotland.
Regardless of a mashup of styling components together with Corvette-inspired facet scallops and headlights from a contemporary Mini (together with the headlights), the design is pretty cohesive. Beneath the bodywork is a Tesla motor and a customized chassis. The automobile weighs about 2,200 kilos—not dangerous for an EV—however nonetheless has sufficient battery capability for an estimated 300 miles of vary. Scott mentioned he was pressured to skip energy steering for the sake of “authenticity.”
Like the homes he renovates, Scott wished to mix classic seems with trendy expertise. So the spartan inside encompasses a touchscreen that additionally serves because the instrument cluster. Shifting is through pushbuttons beneath. The seats are bolted on to the inside’s rear bulkhead. And in true European roadster custom the trunk is kind of small and the roof nonexistent.
Drivability could be a problem in a automobile constructed from scratch, however Leno praised the Lanark’s linear throttle response. It additionally has adjustable regenerative braking like many factory-built EVs.
Whereas this was a really private venture, Scott is not too hooked up to it. He is contemplating auctioning it off for charity, which might avoid wasting future proprietor quite a lot of hassle. The one different method to get a automobile like that is to construct one.