Americans are particularly keen and website hits from the United States have tripled to 12,000 a week in the past 10 months.
"They compare the performance – which is right up there – and then the price and they're blown away by the performance for the price," Kovatch says.

Success in the US is crucial to Elfin, which plans to sell up to 100 cars a year within the next two years on top of the 50 cars it expects to deliver here.

The Streamliner is getting more interest from Americans than the Clubman. About 80 per cent of inquiry is for the full-bodied model.

Australian buyers are more interested in the Clubman for its motorsport potential.

Americans are looking for more of the frills in their cars and are keen to have heating, airconditioning, windscreen wipers and central locking.

According to Kovatch, the MS8 was designed with left-hand drive in mind, so it doesn't have to be redesigned. Similarly, he doesn't expect any problems in gaining certification for the car in the US.