Seeing a Porsche-style miniature car driving with a grown-up driver inside causes a strange cognitive dissonance. The proportions look completely silly, but the handling is eerily real. Viral drifting videos from Kuwait brought the entire subculture into the spotlight, and now people want to know who makes them.
One of the names attached to that rabbit hole is End of STAY Automotive, an art studio in Shanghai that makes “junior” versions of iconic cars, including a Porsche 964-inspired build. The company presents them as adult-sized machines, not children’s vehicles, and the spec sheet backs that up. End of STAY’s own site for the 964 Turbo Junior lists a length of 2,200 mm (approx. 86.6 in), a weight capacity of 300 kg (approx. 661 lb) and adjustable seating designed to fit drivers of approx. 140 to 190 cm tall (about 4 feet 7 inches to 6).
Power is where the internet starts to lose its mind. The End of STAY features a 2,500W electric motor with a top speed of 80 km/h (around 50 mph), plus a rear engine, rear-wheel drive layout and a hydraulic handbrake. Some reports describe junior builds in the 3,000 W to 4,000 W range with top speeds of up to 100 km/h (62 mph). Either way, that’s a lot of speed for something that looks like a souped-up luxury Power Wheel.
These adult-sized mini sports cars hit 50 MPH
The appeal scratches the itch of a grown-up fantasy. You want the looks, the attention, and the fun little tactile steering inputs, without taking out a loan or looking after a collector car. You also want something you can customize. Oddity Central reports buyers can change colors, decals, wheels and aero details, with delivery depending on how deep you go into customization.
Then there is the question that everyone wants to know the answer to. Can you drive these on the street? It depends on where you live and what the vehicle class ends up being. Some brands in the wider “junior car” space have actively stayed away from road legality, even when the build meets high standards. A feature on The Little Car Company in The wallpaper quotes CEO Ben Hedley as saying: “We build our cars to road standards, but brands have asked us not to make them road legal.” These minicars are happiest on private property, lanes and controlled areas where no one has to explain them to a cop.
Prices are not for the mere middle class, with outlets reporting an End of STAY 964 Turbo Junior around the mid-to-high four figures, depending on version and options. That’s really the whole deal. A compact machine that looks ridiculous, drives seriously and sells the feeling without the full-size commitment.
