2008 Westfield Widebody Zetec

‘DK08 NYH’, aka The Wasp, is a 2008 Westfield Widebody that also benefits from a factory-fitted low floor, making it suitable for drivers of all sizes; if you’ve ever craved a Caterham but simply couldn’t fit comfortably inside one, this is a car that was designed for folk like you.

It’s got a proven 202bhp from the two-litre Ford Zetec engine too, along with a rebuilt gearbox, upgraded and competition-proven suspension, and much, much more including tipping the scales at a featherweight 590kgs.

To save you working it out yourself, that’s 342bhp per tonne.  
 

The seller has taken his Westfield hillclimbing and for the odd track day, which is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it’s been set up to be fast and reliable – and a curse because few racers obsess over whether their steed is likely to win a concours.

And yet, this yellow and black example still presents very well, despite having proved itself in the crucible of competition and the only really jarring note is a wonky Westfield badge, which you could spend five minutes sorting out – or just get over yourself and live with.

The rest is all good, with a nice shine to the yellow paintwork, good black decals over the bonnet and boot, and well-fitting panels. Real carbonfibre front cycle wings too, with the headlamps, rear wing protection, and side-mounted, four-into-one exhaust system finished to match.

Plus, a wasp decal.

Unusually, this one also boasts full weather protection via a black bikini roof and door cards in addition to a tonneau cover, windscreen, and clear Perspex side panels.

Safety equipment includes a triangulated rollover hoop from Safety Devices that also provides a secure mounting point for the Willans harnesses.

The 13-inch alloy wheels are from Team Dynamics Motorsport. Finished in black, they’re in great shape with no obvious scrapes, dinks, or other damage. They’re also fitted with a matching set of 185/60R13 Toyo Proxes R888 tyres, dated 2021 albeit with a recent MoT advisory for the condition of one of the front tyres.

Nevertheless, we will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

There are, of course, a few more flaws and these include peeling carbonfibre-effect material to the headlamps, untidy mastic to the rear wing/body joint, messy clear silicon to the base of the windscreen, a small crack in the offside bonnet, and a rip to the offside rear of the tonneau cover.

NB: Take a look at photo 31 of 158 in the ‘Exterior’ section and you’ll understand why we call our photographer ‘ole Eagle Eyes. 
 

The black seats are, of course, piped with yellow; this is The Wasp, after all.

In great shape with no rips, holes, or loss of colour, they work in conjunction with the sills, transmission tunnel, and the red Willans harnesses (dated 2019) to grip you very firmly, which is exactly what you need when you’ve got access to 342bhp per tonne.

The interior also benefits from a fat-rimmed, three-spoke Sparco steering wheel that might be well worn but fits beautifully in the hand and offers telepathy-like control over the chassis, aided and abetted by the tiny throttle pedal.

342bhp per tonne, remember?

That wide body and lowered floor gives ample room in the footwell for larger feet, even allowing for heel ‘n’ toeing.

The gearlever might be among the shortest we’ve ever seen but it is beautifully positioned, and the heavy alloy gearknob gives a pleasant heft.

Instrumentation covers road and engine speeds, distance covered, oil pressure, fuel level, coolant temperature, and battery charge.

The rudimentary carpets are in good order too, as are the switches, warning lights, and controls.

There’s even a netting pocket in the passenger footwell and a small storage space behind the seats; it’s no grand touring car but you could manage a weekend away in it with a couple of folding toothbrushes, a credit card, and perhaps even a spare pair of underwear apiece. 
 

The lowered floor chassis was replaced last year by Westfield; the seller didn’t like the look of the old one, which had been painted rather than powdercoated when it was new and had started to rust.

The original plan had been to get the firm to refurbish it but as a new, lower floor was only going to cost £1,500 more, and gaining extra space in the cockpit while also having a brand-new, factory-fitted chassis with the original chassis number was a “no-brainer!”

The two-litre Zetec benefits from an Omex 600 ECU that’s been mapped on a rolling road, plus Weber Alpha throttle bodies, a balanced flywheel, hotter camshafts, and recut valves. The bottom end is standard though bar uprated high-tensile crank bolts.

This little lot equates to 202bhp at the flywheel, which is plenty given the Westfield only weighs around 590kgs, so 342bhp per tonne.

And therein lies a story because The Wasp weighed 620kgs when the seller stripped it down prior to sending it to Westfield, but a few judicious weight-saving measures saw that drop a not-inconsiderable 30kgs.

These included using alloy rear brake calipers from Audi in place of the Sierra steel items it used to have. These are cheap to buy, much lighter, and still use the Ford brake pads.

The front calipers are still Cosworth jobbies though, and have been fitted with yellow Cosworth pads.

The suspension is all Polybushed, and being a fast-road/competition car a great deal of effort has gone into maintaining the engine and underbonnet area, so the fact it is as clean and well-ordered as it is will come as no surprise.

Points to note include the lightweight Odyssey battery, oil catch tank, and the limited-slip (and recently serviced) Type 9 limited-slip differential that was reconditioned five years ago and now boasts a drain plug for easy servicing.

Access to that differential is now very good because the glassfibre boot box it left the factory with has been replaced by a hand-crafted alloy one that can be easily removed to give access to the rear axle and fuel tank.

As you’d expect, it’s lighter too, something the owner is obsessive about.

*cough* 342bhp per tonne.

As you can see, it starts well from cold with a lovely induction rasp from the Pipercross air filter. The exhaust system has a great note to it too, and because it’s so close to the open cabin, both occupants get to enjoy it properly.

Note too the impressive oil pressure but then the seller is full of praise for the Thatchway-built engine, saying it’s beautifully tractable when you want to potter along but viciously quick when you want to have fun.

Given it received a new floor last year you’d have every right to expect the condition of the underside to be good – and it is with clean and good paint, no obvious leaks or drips, and clean wiring and components.

The odometer is pixilating but read 34,480 miles on the day of our shoot, however we have no reason to doubt the figure.

A spare alloy wheel and tyre, another bare tyre, and an engine block and cylinder head are included, along with a few other bits and bobs. Please see the photos for details. 
 

The Westfield’s MoT is valid until September 2026, the recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and it comes with two keys.

The history file also includes printouts of various dyno runs, a Certificate of Newness from Westfield, a bunch of expired MoT certificates, and some invoices for parts and work.

The latter includes a bill from Thatchway Motorsport in 2017 for engine work that came to more than £5,700, a £2,000-service by Northampton Motorsport in 2012, and ECU and rolling road tune by Interpro in 2017 at a cost of £1,600, and a printout of the suspension set-up in 2022.

Truly money-no-object, eh?
 

The Westfield Widebody opens the door for those among us who are just too manly to squeeze into a Caterham – and by “too manly” we mean anyone who is over six feet tall, wears size ten shoes or bigger, or would look ridiculous in skinny jeans.

Many of us, then.

And it’s not as if you’re losing out by going to an alternative marque; few manufacturers are better regarded than Westfield, and a 202bhp Zetec engine under the bonnet means it goes to go like stink – and will do it reliably.

It handles at least as well as a Caterham too thanks to its upgraded and competition-proven suspension.

All-in-all, The Wasp the probably most sensible way of buying something not very sensible for the money.

Which brings us to the thorny question of what we think it’s going to sell for.

Rare and possibly unmatched in terms of its spacious cabin and performance, we think the virtual hammer will fall somewhere between £10,000 and £15,000 but as it is being offered with no reserve, it’s going to sell from the very first bid.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.