On the whole, there isn’t much to enjoy about a Chevrolet Cobalt or a Saturn Ion coupe. Both cars espoused the things that were wrong with GM just before the economy made a noise surprisingly similar to a toilet flushing in 2008. But both cars have one model that was a redemption: for the Cobalt, it was the SS Supercharged, and for the Ion it was the Red Line. Root all of that saving grace to the engine: the LSJ, an Eaton-blown, intercooled version of the LK9 Ecotec four-banger. It’s a tasty option for a front-drive four-banger, good for 205 horsepower dead-nuts stock and easily capable of over 300 horsepower, as it put out in the Ariel Atom. It’s a nice option for smaller, lighter builds that don’t necessarily need a V8 to feel alive.

Case in point: a gigantic go-kart. This is a DF Kit Car, which is most of a machine that’s ready to accept the full subframe and powertrain assembly and electrical system from a Chevrolet Cobalt or Pontiac G5. The kits start at about seven grand and go up with the options that the company provides (and your heart desires) and you wind up with a street-legal screamer that weighs as much as a heavy pancake breakfast and moves out like hornets on the attack. Need proof? Check this video out…