By Dean Larson

The shape of the Lucra LC470 is an intriguing one. It’s clear that the 470’s shape is derived from the Lister Knobbly, especially its sharply arched rear fenders, front air intakes and distinct three bulge front profile. In many ways, the 470 seems to be an evolved, modern Knobbly, so it’s odd that we don’t consider it that. At any rate, the 470’s looks are a great mix of classic curves and modern touches, like large diameter wheels, splitter and diffuser on the more recent versions. It’s no slouch either, as the LS7 equipped LC470 boasts 505 hp—stock. So it comes as a surprise to us that the Lucra sells so cheap on the secondhand market, like this LC470 offered for sale on eBay for just $65,000.

Your response might be that $65K isn’t exactly cheap for a car you’ll have to explain to onlookers every time you drive it, but take a minute to consider what the Lucra offers for that price. The LC470 starts with a laser-cut tubular frame, fully independent front suspension and triangulated, independent rear-suspension. Most impressive is the LC’s bodywork. The body is entirely carbon fiber with additional carbon fiber added after it’s been mounted on the chassis, totally enclosing the car’s frame. Rarely seen as standard on replicas, carbon fiber bodywork commands a premium. You would be hard pressed to find a Cobra done in carbon fiber for under $100K. Lucra currently offers the 505 hp LS7 and 430 hp LS3 in the LC470, along with “higher hp and race-ready engine options,” but pre-owned examples may also have an LS1 or LS6 with 400 and 405 hp respectively. Power figures from 400 to 500+ hp should prove adequate for anyone in a car that weighs just 2,000 pounds completed. 

The finished Lucra achieves a 45/55-weight distribution, which is argued to be superior to 50/50 in a sports car. The engine and transmission are also offset 1 1/4 inch to the passenger side to achieve a right-to-left weight balance with the driver in the car. The 470 will complete a quarter mile in 9 or 10 seconds, based on engine choice, and Lucra reports a 0-60 time of 3.3 seconds.

With all this in mind, consider this 2007 LC470 on eBay with a buy-it-now price of $65,000. This earlier model features the larger hood bulge, which I actually prefer over the smaller bulge on newer cars. Those familiar with Lucra might also notice that this example is slightly less refined. Brand new LC470s have more modern interior and wheel selection, but we appreciate the basic interior and wheel choice on this example. The early Jaguar steering wheel is also a nice tip of the hat to the Knobbly. The seller reports that the car is 95 percent finished and a few small things meet the eye. It looks like some vents might be missing from the front fenders and the seller reports that some small paint chips need touching up. While the interior on this 470 has been finished to a high quality, a different shade of leather would have improved its appearance. Eagle-eyed viewers might also spot a missing speedometer inside. My last concern with this Lucra would be ensuring that all the paperwork is in order, as it has yet to be registered for the first time. 

So is this Lucra too cheap? We’d say so. While it’s not without issues, it is a new 400+ hp roadster with carbon fiber bodywork and a manual transmission. If you know of a comparable carbon fiber car for the money, we’re all ears. 

At least we held off to the end to make a pun about this Lucrative deal.