A private car collector and drift legend have built a real life Iron Man garage to house a one of 12 Frankenstein Lotus built exclusively from scrap engines
Published on Apr 08, 2026 at 7:10 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Apr 08, 2026 at 7:10 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
This private car collector in Brazil has revealed his incredible stash to Hagerty, with the highlight surely being his Iron Man garage used to house a rare Frankenstein Lotus built with parts from scrap engines.
The Hagerty video, hosted by Larry Chen, actually focuses on two collections, but the one we are highlighting belongs to pro-drifter Diego Higa.
Higa has amassed a huge collection of cars, some of which are incredibly rare, but one stands out from the crowd.
That is the aforementioned ‘Frankenstein’ Lotus, one of the rarest cars ever produced for the Brazilian market.
This is what makes this Frankenstein Lotus so special
The car is a bit of an oddity, but it’s also a truly rare beast.
This is a one-of-12 Emme/Lotus 422T, built exclusively for the Brazilian market.
Yes, you read that right, a Lotus built just for Brazil.
This is a true Frankenstein car, with a 2.2-liter Lotus engine assembled from scrap engines.
It’s also a weird-looking car, built as a sedan for Brazil but utilizing the Lotus powertrain.
The company behind the car originally built motorscooters before making the Emme from 1997 to 1999.
Just 12 were made in those two years, and the cars were poorly designed.
Yet the car has a weird energy around it, mostly due to its rarity.
Larry Chen, who saw the car, explained some of the issues.
“The engine produced 264hp, and it was paired with a Mustang gearbox and Jaguar differential,” he said.
“It promised European performance, but the reality was a mix of mismatched panels, bad tolerances, and failing electronics,” he added.
What Higa plans for this strange yet special car
At the time of recording, Higa’s Emme Lotus was sitting under a cover.
But he did have plans for the car, as Chen found out.
“It is a good car for driving, but it is so heavy,” he said.
“I drove it one time, and it was good,” added Diego.
Both Diego and his father plan to restore the car and get it up and running.
Aside from flat tires and a bit of dirt, the Emme looked to be in really good condition.
You can tell just by a quick look that it is a bit of a Frankenstein car.
“It has the recipe for a good car,” Chen said, however, and a Lotus engine in a sedan does sound like a good mix.
Perhaps Diego and his father can finally get the car to realize its full potential.
Clearly, it will take a lot of work to get this Frankenstein Lotus running again.
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a heritage steam railway.
