Many of us have dreamed of designing our very own sports car, and that’s exactly what two students from the Cologne University of Applied Sciences set out to do with the YES! Roadster. Operating under the Young Engineers Sportscar moniker, what started as the thesis project of Herbert Funke and Philipp Will soon became a the physical prototype of the YES! Roadster that debuted the 1999 International Motor Show in Frankfurt. Its spec sheet was promising, boasting a mid-engined layout and an ultra-low curb weight thanks to a stripped-out cabin and no real roof to speak of. However, the 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine was a little lacking in emotion, something that was rectified with the second generation introduced in 2006, which moved to Volkswagen’s widely adored 3.2-litre VR6 engine. 

Each YES! Roadster was hand made in a restored 1930s hangar at Grossenhain airfield, but between the start of production in 2001 and the company’s bankruptcy in 2009, only around 200 of these unusual sports cars were built. This particular Roadster, which is heading to Oldtimer Galerie Toffen’s Classic Cars & Motorcycles auction on October 18th, was completed in 2008 and belongs to the second generation. Therefore, behind the cockpit you’ll find a 255 horsepower 3.2-litre VR6 — as alluded to by the Golf R32 instrument cluster — mated to a six speed gearbox. Finished in bright matte blue paint with a two tone cream and black interior, thanks to its aluminium monocoque and GRP body, the YES! Roadster weighed in at just 1,050 kg resulting in a very healthy power-to-weight ratio. 

With 15,000 km of canyon carving in its past, this YES! Roadster is showing some signs of wear, but if you want to turn a sea of heads at your next car meet, there’s arguably no sports car out there that’s more obscure or intriguing. So, for the estimate of between 20,000 and 25,000 Swiss francs, would you say “YES!” to this pocket rocket? 

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