Building your own single-seater in your garage is already an unusual project. Deciding to equip it with an Alfa Romeo Busso V6 engine while drawing inspiration from Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4/8 makes the adventure even more exciting. Yet that is exactly what Moully Syed, a British race mechanic known on social media under the pseudonym Carjabii, has set out to do.
His project is far from being a simple model designed to look like a Formula 1 car. For several years now, Moully has been gradually designing a real single-seater, from the tubular chassis to the aerodynamics and the mechanical components. And at the heart of the car will be an engine particularly dear to fans of’Alfa Romeo.
A single-seater designed from scratch
The first signs of the project date back more than two years. At that time, Moully unveiled the tubular chassis she had designed after spending countless hours on CAD. In the photos taken in her garage, the single-seater does indeed start out as a simple, custom-built metal frame.
But the project doesn’t stop at the chassis. To develop the body and aerodynamics, she uses Autodesk Inventor and Star-CCM+, among other tools. Star-CCM+ allows her to simulate a virtual wind tunnel to study pressure, airspeed, and downforce, and then modify the various parts accordingly.
Aesthetically, its inspiration is clear: the McLaren MP4/8, a single-seater driven notably by Ayrton Senna during the 1993 season. The initial bodywork contours visible around the chassis are reminiscent of the single-seaters from that era.
An Alfa Romeo Busso V6 behind the driver
However, it is the choice of engine that earns this creation a spot on Italpassion. A little over a year ago, Moully unveiled the engine intended for his single-seater: a 2.5-liter, 24-valve Alfa Romeo Busso V6.
She describes her idea as a fusion of two of her favorite race cars: the Alfa Romeo DTM and the McLaren MP4/8.
To transmit power to the rear wheels, Moully plans to use a Renault UN1 013 transmission. It’s a pragmatic choice: she explains that she is very familiar with this transmission, which is regularly used in kit cars and GT40 replicas, and believes it is well-suited to the Busso V6. However, specific parts will need to be manufactured to integrate it into the single-seater.
A project led by a real race mechanic
This project takes on a whole new dimension when you look at its creator’s background. As a student in Motorsport Engineering, Moully Syed also works as a race mechanic and data analyst in the United Kingdom. She has competed in the GT Cup, the BEMSEE motorcycle championship, and the F.A.T. Karting League, working on suspension and brake setups as well as telemetry.
And construction is still underway. The most recent images show Moully busy restoring the Alfa Romeo V6, which appears to need a major overhaul before it can be permanently mounted in its chassis. So there’s still a lot of work to be done before we hear the Busso roaring behind the cockpit. But between its in-house chassis, its computer-designed aerodynamics, and this Alfa Romeo powertrain, this unlikely «Italian MP4/8» is gradually taking shape in a simple British garage.
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