818 coupe in the roadmap any time soon?

[imom]

With the release of the 818S and R, I've be hoping to see news of a coupe with roll up windows. I've been checking for any updates, but haven't read anything and searches haven't popped up anything. I wanted to post a thread to see if Mr. Smith would reveal any plans for a coupe in the near foreseeable future?

[JAE]

Hi imom

When I talked to some of the FFR crew last year at SEMA, they said it was at least 2 years away for a hardtop - I guess that means it still a year away. I think there are quite a few of us that are waiting for this to happen, but I don't know if I can wait for another year or two. Maybe they can offer just the frame and let people build their own body - coupe or otherwise.

Thanks John

[C.Plavan]

I would love a Coupe R. If they make one, my 818R would be for sale, or a donor

[bbjones121]

I hope they stick to the modular design goal so that we could keep our chassis that we spent so much time on.

[bbjones121]

Some new body panel options would be awesome. I thought I remember hearing that from somewhere. This was going to be a world car with customization potential. We still haven't seen the third model, the high mileage one.

[imom]

Hi imom

When I talked to some of the FFR crew last year at SEMA, they said it was at least 2 years away for a hardtop - I guess that means it still a year away. I think there are quite a few of us that are waiting for this to happen, but I don't know if I can wait for another year or two. Maybe they can offer just the frame and let people build their own body - coupe or otherwise.

Thanks John

Thanks John for the update. I loved the 818 concept when Dave presented it and really appreciate what FFR is doing. Now that 818 is available...to me it's still not an option until coupes come out... It has to be a daily driver for me...so windows and roof is a must. I also like the idea of an integrated roll cage and perhaps make the door opening bigger instead of the diagonal bar blocking your ingress and egress of the car. I know the 818 coupe was a year or two away...but we are about that point so was hoping on some news otherwise I'm stuck with another boring car to buy/drive. The idea of a car lighter than an exige S v6 and make about the same horsepower would be amazing.

Crazy thing about these kit cars is I don't see much depreciation value versus buying a new car and being able to kit your own drivetrain that is much more reliable than a first year production car would really be awesom to own.

Some new body panel options would be awesome. I thought I remember hearing that from somewhere. This was going to be a world car with customization potential. We still haven't seen the third model, the high mileage one.

I think the biggest thing is to get the frame to be available. Would be great to be able to select different bodies such as Vman's vantage or another vendor's body kit. Just like to see if Dave would throw us a bone about the coupe status.

[shinn497]

This gets asked a lot and the answer is a solid :

Maybe ? *

We don't know anything about alternate designs. Coupes. etc. etc. I get the feeling we will actually see a mark 2 before this since they are learning a lot from their customers. You could be waiting a while....perhaps.

[Niburu]

Coupe could be the 818SC, sounds very Porsche-esque.
Targa top, call it the 818T.

Let me know when the pre-order starts.

[mindinclouds]

I am seriously interested in building an 818 (stopped to visit the factory last year while on an east coast vacation) but still sitting on the fence, and wont be climbing down to order until I see something happen with a coupe design. So, here is one post that will hopefully encourage them to keep it part of their future plans.

[longislandwrx]

I drew up a quick sketch of a coupe that would clear the r bar. I think you'd need the height anyway to get through the window. I forget what thread it was on.

i'd rather have plastic panels first though.

[flynntuna]

http://i.imgur.com/59pj4.gif


Love it!
Targa please.

[David Hodgkins]

I don't reply to a lot of 818 threads but I read almost all of them and pass along interesting ones to Dave Smith.

Here's some news he sent in a reply:

News is forthcoming in an email to all 818 owners. They have begun a hardtop.

Quote:
"Estimate 6 months on project. You can say you got it from me"

GREAT NEWS!

[bbjones121]

Sweet! I assume this will work on current model. Can that part be confirmed?

[Mad Dog]

The full update is on our website and we'll have it up here on the forum shortly. Click here to read it on Factory Five's website.

[bbjones121]

This just turned into one of the happiest days I have had in awhile! ! Hardtop coming in 6 months, red gelcoat, more carbon fiber, 6 speed kit, fancy upgraded shifter..... Awesome!

[shinn497]

I guess I stand corrected. It seems like they are improving the 818 bit by bit and thats cool. I like how, instead of completely revamping the car, they are providing options.

[68GT500MAN]

Dave and the crew at FFR will never let you guys down.
Doug

[projectrally]

I would love a Coupe R. If they make one, my 818R would be for sale, or a donor

I don't think they have any plans for a coupe R. The rear bar is so much higher and wider that the soft top won't fit on the R. And with the side bars coming down right through the window area, there'd be no way to enter the car. At least not without some heavy, cumbersome, overly complicated gullwing mechanism. I don't know what FFR is planning, but I know Jim well enough to know that he wouldn't design something big and heavy and complicated for the race car.

If you want a coupe, I'm pretty sure you're going to have to get a street car. Maybe get a bare frame, and weld in your own roll cage.

[flynntuna]

If there's a will there's a way.

[FFRSpec72]

The rear bar is so much higher and wider that the soft top won't fit on the R. And with the side bars coming down right through the window area, there'd be no way to enter the car.

The Daytona Coupe (with full roll cage) is real tough to get in/out of, so I can't imagine an R coupe. NASA has a 10 sec exit rule.

[projectrally]

Also, Dave Smith just started a new thread, and in it he says this: "Inspired by concept renders of an 818 coupe, the R&D team is working on a removable hard top that will work with the current 818S design." No mention of the R.

Post #5 in this thread: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showt...-of-Production

[imom]

I don't reply to a lot of 818 threads but I read almost all of them and pass along interesting ones to Dave Smith.

Here's some news he sent in a reply:

News is forthcoming in an email to all 818 owners. They have begun a hardtop.

Quote:
"Estimate 6 months on project. You can say you got it from me"

GREAT NEWS!

Mr. Hodgkins, Can you please also confirm if there are roll up windows support? The other thing I like to know if the hardtop project will ever support some kind of a mini roll cage? The idea of removal hard top doesn't seem to imply that there will be any complete protection. I'm not a car designer, I know the 818R has a roll bar protection, but I don't know how well is one protected versus a full cage of some sort.

Just a little feedback... if the coupe version was more than 818KG, I would not really care much. The next fun car close to this, but not really available in the US is the lotus Exige S V6 and that is about 1080KG. A little more weight and a full cage coupe would be pretty sweet in terms of frame rigidity(probably is very stiff already), but still have good protection from the elements.

It's really good news this is being worked on. Thanks to Mad Dog as well for the trunk information.


P.s. Last thing...I know Mr. Smith wants to make a kit that can retrofit the current 818 sold...but would be really good if we could some how have the capability to get as an option or as a kit we can weld our own roll cage with the hardtop option.

[riptide motorsport]

I like the look, highly doubt roll up windows though....

[projectrally]

What I'd really like to see is a roof scoop on the hard top to funnel air into the TMIC.

I also doubt rollup windows. Working windows are really, really hard to design.

There's this anecdote I may be telling wrong about a meeting that happened in a Lotus boardroom when they were launching one of their cars. They called the lead designer in and asked him if he could add roll-up windows to the car. The engineer looked at the board, and with all seriousness told them that it would be easier to re-engineer the car to accept a different drivetrain than it would be to add windows.

I'd guess that side windows will either be vinyl curtains like the soft top uses since the tooling is already done for those. If not that, maybe a lexan panel like the Type 65 Coupe.

[imom]

I would prefer to hear from FF5 if they can provide roll up windows or not. I can't imagine an engineering company not be able to provide this feature. Just a matter of time and money vs ROI. Even if this is a "Kit" car, I rather see this as a boutique car in smaller volumes with all the features of production cars. Lotus does have roll up windows and AC. It's a different price point, but again....I rather not speculate but to ask the question and hopefully get an answer. If FF5 is offering trunk and other things...it indicates to me that FF5 is slowly offering what basic features of any other production car and not just a track car.

Maybe I'm dreaming and this isn't reality...but most things start as a dream and with enough will to make it a reality.

[GUNS]

I had the same thought about a roof scoop feeding to the IC.

[flynntuna]

The way I see it , a number of choices have to be made in developing the hard top.
Will there be roll up windows
Will the top be replacing the engine cover and the windshield like the 33 hot rod (engine access cover similar to a Ferrari Dino)
Will it be a new engine cover and targa top ( my favorite but would make roll up windows nearly impossible)

I don't know if there's room in the doors to accommodate roll up windows or not but in keeping with the theme of being an affordable project car IMHO roll up windows will be a tall order.

[JAE]

Wow, great news on the hardtop - maybe I won't have to wait as long as I thought. Does anyone know how long the order (waiting) list is now, I believe at one point it was around a year. With the ramped up production, hopefully it is a lot less now.

I would sure like to have side windows, even if it is something basic like some early British cars that used a strap to raise and lower the window. I think roll-up windows are definitely do-able, but as flynntuna said, a lot will depend on the roof design. I seem to remember the doors being fairly thick, there should be enough room for the glass.

[TahoeTim]

Don't take my comments negative. I am a third time FFR kit builder... FFR blew it big time on the 818 doors. The 818 is cool and I bought one but I can see how they engineered another Cobra. Doors that are a pain in the butt and and cramped leg room could have been avoided. They had a clean slate and they SHOULD have incorporated a donor door with power windows. Maybe a set of Corvette doors from a GTM donor could have been worked into the design. I haven't received my kit yet but I am wondering if there is a production door out there that is close in dimensions to the kit door???