1997 Brooke ME190

We are pleased to be offering for sale an original ME190, such a rare car with only a handful ever produced. And to ensure that this is even more exclusive, it is the only one fitted with a Honda Type R engine, a veritable powerhouse.

The hand built B18C2 engine is rightly regarded as one of, if not the finest four-cylinder engines ever made. It puts out over 190bhp, confirmed on a dyno, and revs to somewhere north of 8,000rpm. In such a light body, the performance is breathtaking ably demonstrated by the 0-60mph sprint time of around four seconds. Top speed is said to be in excess of 130mph.

A Renault UN1 transaxle gearbox is fitted, whilst the chassis is triangulated space frame bonded to a Kevlar seat tub. Suspension consists of independent double wishbone, rose jointed with coil over adjustable dampers and adjustable anti roll bars front and back.

The first owner and builder, Trevor E from Hampshire registered the car in July 1998, when it was issued with its current registration mark, though it was certified new by Brooke Cars just over a year earlier.

Fast forward to 2003 and step forward one Joe W from Royston, Hertfordshire. He kept the car until it was acquired by our seller David in November 2019, the recorded milage being just 6,648.

David has lavished the ME190 with a great deal of care and attention, not to mention spending plenty of cash. However, it has been little used, so it is time for this exciting car to head off to a new home and some exciting adventures.

So, what is the Brooke ME190 made from we hear you cry? Well, it is self-coloured GRP and as you can see looks rather splendid in British Racing Green with a yellow nose stripe.

You will find some marks to the finish, so we suggest you pore over our photographs or better still come and stand in front of it. Pictures 66, 72 and 142 show some of the marks, but you will find scratches etc elsewhere.

The striking gold wheels, painted by Total Headturners in October 2019, 6.5”J x 15” and are shod with a set of Yokohama tyres, 195/50 R15 82V at the front, whilst the rears are 205/50 R15 86V in size. They date from the latter part of 2017 and are as new. They replaced a set of Goodyears.

Most striking are the contoured composite moulding seats, with removable black seat cushions. Full harness Willans seat belts are fitted – we would expect no less!

The removable steering wheel was replaced in August 2020 with a new CBS item, and this connects to the rack and pinion steering, with 2.6 turns from lock to lock.

Chrome rollover hoops offer some protection should the worst happen, but other than that there is little in the way of safety features. This is after all an exciting car.

Centrally mounted instrumentation places the important rev counter nearest to the driver and with the car being fitted with a Honda engine, it can be redlined at 8,000 rpm. And what a noise it makes at full chat!

An instantly adjustable pedal box is fitted (fore and aft) with a twist/pull handle fitted under the dash.

There is no wet weather gear, so a sudden unexpected downpour might dampen an exciting day out, but keep moving and the worst of the rain will pass you by. There is a tonneau cover for the cockpit.

Luggage space is likely to be limited to what you can cram into the passenger footwell, so exciting days out are more likely than a weekend away.

You will see some deep scratches to the nosecone (pic 135) but scroll to the end of our picture gallery and you will find pictures of the rest of the car’s underside too.

There’s a lot to tell you here, so let’s start with the beating heart, that Honda engine, as fitted to the Integra from 1994 to 2001. It boasts 128 lb/ft of torque at 6,200 rpm and power is a heady 190bhp at 7,300 rpm, confirmed on a dyno map.

It endows the ME190 with scintillating performance. Expect 100mph to be reached in around 12 seconds should you find yourself on a racetrack and our seller tells us that it feels every bit as fast!

Redline Tuning replaced the ECU with a Unichip Q module V TEC unit and also fitted a new Lambda sensor.

You may also care to note that our seller changed the exhaust system in August 2020 for a new balanced stainless-steel system, by Howard and Scott of Basildon, Essex.

Independent double wishbone suspension is fitted with coil over adjustable dampers. There are also adjustable anti roll bars front and rear.

Brakes comprise 9.5” vented front discs, whilst the rears are the same size but solid. New front brake AP radial 4P CP4567 callipers with Mintex pads were fitted last year by our seller, and of course the rears were renewed too with Wilwood 4P 120-9463 items and Mintex pads.

Just three lucky owners have enjoyed this exciting car and miles covered have been modest to say the least – just 6768 was showing on the odometer at the last MoT in July 2023. There were no advisories.

Scrolling back through the online MoT history shows a couple of very minor advisories and that is all. We can see the car wasn’t tested between 2006 and 2017, though of course it may well have been used for an odd track day.

There are plenty of invoices displayed in our picture gallery, the recent ones from our seller of course being the most interesting.

• 26/6/20 – a new battery was fitted.

• 22/6/20 – new fluids including clutch and brakes. New plugs and air filter, new driveshaft seals. Cost £1,115.37.

• 22/8/20 – Brooke 4-1 manifold fitted. Cost £2,520.

• 24/4/21 – ECU work to restore power. Cost £600.

• 28/7/22 – Brake callipers, pads etc. Cost £3,212.96.

• 26/9/22 – New cooling system, new fuel tank straps. Cost £1,984.56.

As you can see, our seller has endeavoured to ensure this car runs beautifully. He’s done the work, so you don’t have to. Buy it, insure it, drive it!

Brooke cars proclaimed in their marketing literature:

“The pure spirit of the Brooke is fun motoring in a car as close to racing as most of us will ever get.”

We can therefore imagine the new owner wanting to do some track days, but it’s just as thrilling to pilot on the road. Not only is it super quick, the lack of side windows and small front screen makes you think you are going even quicker.

The controls are direct, the whole feel has been likened to that of a go-kart.

This is a rare opportunity to buy a wonderful weekend toy and we confidently expect a great deal of interest.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ, United Kingdom. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.