Multi-million ++ Dollar idea for Factory Five, opinions?! Home-made UTV kit

[2fast]

Right now there is currently nothing on the market at all to compete with the big name UTV companies, there is only the big name ATV companies and chinese junk no one wants. FF has the technical expertise and background to design a simple and inexpensive (for them, people would pay alot, myself included!) UTV frame that utilizes simple off the shelf parts adopting their no custom parts needed philosophy that would support 26-32" tires like the RZR / Wildcat etc, Maybe a ford IFS with rear solid axle or 2 rear IFS systems facing eachother for a full IFS system with mid / rear reverse mounted motor / tranny to t-case, in any case, I am sure it would be insanely popular and people could custom build their own UTV however they wanted.

If FF wants to remain a car only company, don't you fellow builder enthusiasts think even a new smaller sub-company for UTV's under them would rock?!


Edit: For inspiration google / youtube "southern buggy" if you don't have the mental image, but on a smaller scale, not a massive monster like that! Even though they are sick

[Martin]

Factory Five a part owners (maybe even major owners) in another company that builds the Rally Fighter.

http://localmotors.com/

As much as I admit it would be fun, I'm not sure the market is as big. Factory Five are many things, evangelists for the sense of community that these cars can bring, but they are also pretty good at making money. I'm pretty sure, that if there was millions to be made, Dave would have been onto it already.

There was talk of a F150 based, single donor truck kit at one point - I think it was a SEMA dinner with existing customers when the idea was discussed. They ended up doing the 818 as a track monster/world solution.

Still, you never know. The 289 is done, the 818 is done (albeit without a roof). Maybe it is next, or maybe a kit bike is next... I still love the bike that the autocad guy designed and built that was on here a while ago.

Martin

[myjones]

As much as I admit it would be fun, I'm not sure the market is as big. Factory Five are many things, evangelists for the sense of community that these cars can bring, but they are also pretty good at making money. I'm pretty sure, that if there was millions to be made, Dave would have been onto it already. Still, you never know. Martin

The thing I see as a synergy moment for them is the new trend around here on the dirt tracks. It's called a Mod-Lite and it's a scaled down A-mod style tube frame with a cycle engine. The tube chassis is right in the FF wheelhouse and the rest is donor parts/speed parts. Sound familiar ? They could also be tweaked for a roadcourse version/pavement ripper. They are a cheaper way to go dirt racing and fun to watch like a midget/sprint car with similar scale and HP ratios.
DB

[2fast]

The Rally Fighter is awesome, that is kind of the idea, but shorter wheel-base and 4x4, if you used solid front and rear axles you could build one heck of a off-road machine, more for trails and to compete with the RZR crowd and such, to have an extremely capable off-road vehicle that you can build up, of course many people can and have already done this, but if there was a Kit or base to go off of I think the market / sport would explode even more.

[Jeff Kleiner]

I had the same thought as Martin that this would be a better match for Local Motors. I know from conversations that I've had with Dave over the past 3-4 years that he's really hopped up on a donor based (think F-150) Trophy Truck. I was a little surprised that the FIA took precedence but it stands to reason since for the most part it's just a different body on a Mk4 and didn't take a great deal of development. I think a truck will be the next all new product (i.e. not a variant on an existing platform).

Jeff