By Dean Larson

Almost every replica and homebuilt automobile is designed for, at the very least, spirited driving. Rarely do you see anyone go through a painstaking build process for the sake of commuting and fuel economy—and what fun would that be anyhow? But some homebuilt cars take this to the extreme. The Superlite SL-C is one of those vehicles that is, for all intents and purposes, a race car that's designed to be built at home with just enough considerations for street legality. Most often, the lightweight SL-C is powered by GM’s line of LS engines thanks to their wide availability, substantial aftermarket and relative affordability, but this Superlite on eBay definitely throws out convention.

If the “spinney-triangle” inspired exhaust and taillights on the rear (and the title to this article) didn’t give it away, this SL-C is powered by a Mazda rotary engine, and this one’s no slouch. The seller only describes it as “a three-rotor Mazda engine,” but we’re willing to bet that this is the sought-after, twin-turbo equipped 20B engine. The 20B saw limited use, almost exclusively in the ’90-’95 Eunos Cosmo (an upscale, luxury performer built by Mazda’s now defunct luxury brand Eunos) and is a desirable swap for over-the-top RX7 builds. The roughly 2-liter engine is force-fed 10 psi of boost and makes 300 hp in stock form. 

While the builder gives us minimal information on the engine build, a few things are obvious from the photos. It appears that a single, large-diameter turbo has likely replaced the original twin-turbo setup and a large-diameter, stainless steel exhaust has been fitted. The seller also notes that two oil coolers and an aftermarket water-to-air intercooler have been added. A Mendeola five-speed sequential transaxle directs power to the ground and 14-inch Brembo brakes bring the whole show to a halt. The seller claims the car is perfectly reliable and capable of accelerating to 100 mph in seven seconds, and 100 to 0 in six. And that’s probably accurate considering the finished product weighs in at just 2,591 pounds.

Looking at the builder’s final product, there’s not much to complain about. The paint scheme might be showing a little age, and the body would look beautiful as-is if it were all black. We’re also a bit partial to the “race tail,” which has a large rear wing that balances the look of the car a bit. Check out the race tail on an SL-C here.

In the market for some 8,000+ rpm rotary fun? If so, you’d better act quick. The SL-C is offered on eBay with a starting bid of $45,000 with two days remaining in the auction. Check it out here.