He Built a 47-MPH Mini Car From a Go-Kart and a Motorcycle Canopy—And Dragged It Through a SupermarketMotorBiscuitRahaan MazumderFri, September 25, 2026 at 1:30 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleIf you are tired of struggling to find street parking or spending a fortune on gas for your daily commute, a brilliant DIY engineer on YouTube might have just created the ultimate solution.In a wildly entertaining build video from the channel Meanwhile in the Garage, the host decided that modern city cars are simply too big. His solution? He built a fully enclosed, street-ripping microcar from scratch—and it is so small that you can literally tow it through the aisles of a grocery store."This time I got a really great idea that I couldn't get to sleep last night," the host explained at the start of the build. "I wanna build a city car, urban car, and therefore I'm gonna use one of these karts and canopy of this bike".Plastic Buckets, Go-Kart Frames, and a 7.5 HP EngineThe foundation of the build is a standard tubular go-kart frame, heavily modified to support a sleek, tinted motorcycle canopy that serves as the driver's enclosed cockpit.AdvertisementAdvertisementBut this wasn't just a simple bolt-on project. The creator meticulously fabricated custom aluminum wheel hubs on a lathe to fit thick, durable wheelbarrow-style tires, making the tiny car rugged enough to handle rough city pavement and curbs.To make the vehicle road-ready in all weather conditions, he added a full suite of electronics, including LED headlights, turn signals, brake lights, and even a fully functional windshield wiper mechanism."So many comments about windshield wiper friends," the host laughed while installing the motor. "You asked it, you get it".Perhaps the most ingenious (and hilarious) budget-friendly hack of the entire build involved the fenders. Instead of molding custom fiberglass or buying expensive carbon fiber components, he simply drove to a hardware store, bought several heavy-duty black plastic utility buckets, cut them in half, and bolted them directly over the wheels.The 47-MPH Real-World TestAfter weeks of cutting, welding, and painting, the creator hoisted the completed microcar onto a crane scale. Thanks to its minimalist design, the entire vehicle—including the 7.5 HP internal combustion engine—weighed in at a shockingly light 111.5 kilograms, or roughly 245 pounds.AdvertisementAdvertisement"Finally it's done, guys, and we're ready for test drive. Let's go!" he declared, jumping into the single-seat cockpit.Once it hit the open road, the tiny go-kart proved it was an absolute beast. A GPS speedometer application mounted to the steering wheel tracked the lightweight car maxing out at an impressive 75 km/h (47 mph) as he flew down a rural backroad.But the real test was urban mobility. The creator took the vehicle deep into the city, easily weaving through gridlocked traffic and laughing, "This is really crazy!"Because the vehicle is a fraction of the size of a Smart Car, he demonstrated its ultimate parking hack. First, he easily pushed the vehicle straight into a standard passenger elevator to the total bewilderment of the people inside, sheepishly apologizing with a "Sorry, guys".Moments later, he strapped a tow rope to the front bumper and literally dragged the entire vehicle behind him like a shopping cart as he walked through the aisles of a local Albert Heijn supermarket.AdvertisementAdvertisementWhether you consider it a street-legal go-kart or the future of ultra-efficient urban commuting, one thing is certain: parking has never looked more fun.