In the overall scheme of things, despite having a brilliant kitcar enthusiasts club, Northern Ireland hasn’t really had very many kitcar manufacturers. I think we worked it out recently at about eight manufacturers since 1949.

Anyway, the latest is a company called Vale Automotive located near Derry City and run by a nice chap called Shimie.

They are launching a Porsche Boxster (Mk1 986-generation) based body conversion. Although described as an original design there’s plenty of Porsche 911 GT1 in the car’s styling. Shimie tells me that a Mk2 (987-generation)-based version is also being developed.

Vale’s kit is a very interesting pastiche of the iconic mid-nineties GT1 a Porsche that starred in endurance and GT racing in period. There was also a road version, but you won’t see many of them around.

Shimie is currently supplying just a GRP bodykit although plans to tempt customers with a set of wheels very soon. The 986-generation used either a 25, 2.7 or 3.2-litre engine with the latter having a tidy – and befitting – 260bhp although Vale is working on a mid-engined GM LS3 engine option, a unit that he sees being the most popular.

The kit is priced at £10,999 and turnkeys will also be an option.

More on this one soon although in the meantime visit www.vale-automotive.com ENDS.