Introduction

Welcome to Stark automotive, home of the DIY (do-it-yourself) Honda K20 engine conversion kit for Rover-engined Lotus Elise, Exige & 340R.

We believe the combination of the lightweight Elise chassis and the fantastic Honda Type R engine provides the best of both worlds.  But don’t just take our word for it, our original demonstrator car received top-rated reviews from the motoring press, including a five-star verdict ‘Driven’ test from EVO magazine and a cover feature from ‘Performance Tuner’ magazine.

The handling of a Lotus Elise combined with the power output, reliability and character of a Honda VTEC engine – a match made in heaven?  

Very much so, and something that can be carried out by a home mechanic on a DIY basis using our conversion kit.   The Stark conversion kit contains all the mechanical parts (including our build manual and electrical guidance notes) required for the Honda engine conversion to your Lotus, apart from an engine donor package and your choice of ECU, upgrades and optional extras.

Alternatively, if you don’t have the time or aren’t handy with spanners, you can use your favourite local specialist and we can recommend a number of professional installers around the world.

Performance

The performance of a Honda converted Elise is simply amazing.  Cars converted with the Stark kit, using a standard UK spec K20A2 engine, has proven outputs of 235 bhp and 169 lb-ft (with decat, sports cat costs 10 bhp).  In an S1 Elise this provides approximate performance figures of 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds, 0-100mph in 9.5 seconds and a top speed of 160mph, all with Honda’s legendary reliability.

Suitability

The kit is suitable for all Rover engined Elise variants including: Elise S1, 111S, S135, S160, S190, Motorsport Elise, Exige S1, Elise S2, S2 111S and the 340R.   Our kit is not suitable for Toyota-engine’d cars or the VX220, although some parts can be used, please read the FAQ for more information.

The kit is designed around the Civic Type R (EP3) K20A2 engine, however the Integra DC5  K20A unit can also be used with minor differences. See our FAQ for more information on other conversion ideas including using the K24 engine and charged installations.

The kit parts were originally developed, and have been continuously refined over time, using modern CAD/CAM techniques by qualified engineers and professional fabricators.

Donor Package

There are two possible donor cars for the donor package: the 01-05 Honda Civic Type R (EP3 model) and the 00-06 Honda Integra Type R (DC5 import model).  The former are more common, the latter are rarer and more expensive.   See our FAQ for more information on donor cars and engine types.  The main donor parts required are a Honda K20A or K20A2 engine & gearbox.  Alongside this, there are a number of crucial other parts required from the donor vehicle, these are listed in full in our build manual.

Build Support

We offer 5 days per week (and often weekends too) support via email.  We are here to assist with any aspects of the mechanical installation.  Guidance notes are provided to get you started on the necessary wiring modifications. This enables the enthusiast to build a Honda powered Elise at minimal cost with the confidence that there is a UK based team always willing to assist.

Warranty

New kit parts are covered by a 12 month road warranty subject to our Terms & Conditions (see below).

Spares

All of the kit parts are available individually as spares, to help keep your car on the road, please Contact Us for a quote.

Terms & Conditions

Click here on T&Cs to download a copy of our formal terms and conditions.

Ordering

See How to Order to obtain a personalised quotation.

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