The Factory Five 818R race development program has been at full throttle this year. The goal is to make the 818 chassis the most track-capable street car in our line-up and to continue developing the platform for new products.
The 818 story continues to grow and the car is definitely earning its place in the Factory Five line-up. A little more than a year after production began, I am impressed with the number and scope of accomplishments that the newest Factory Five has racked up.
The team continues to work hard to make the platform stronger, faster, and offer more build options. Work has begun in earnest on a much anticipated removable hard top. Inspired by community-based CAD designs, we are making the coupe top removable, and importantly, retro-fittable to all 818S models.
Overseas, the 818 is bringing the Factory Five experience to more people in more countries. Right hand drive cars have been shipped to the UK, Australia, and the far east. As designed, the 818 is the most exported chassis kit we build. It is exciting to see Factory Five communities growing in different countries around the world.
Speaking of community, the 818 has a HUGE number of online builds where people are documenting their individual builds and experience. The customer stories are awe-inspiring. This year’s SEMA Show will highlight some of the variety of 818 builds and the flexibility of this exciting new platform. This is a huge e-mail, but it cannot include ALL of the great stories out there, so apologies to those amazing cars I’ve missed.
I am very proud of the entire team and the tremendous amount of work that has been done. The last update I sent out was in March, so this one is a bit longer than most. Hope you enjoy the update.
818 PRODUCTION NEARS 300!
As of August 26th, 2014, chassis production reached 271 units! It has been a great year so far, and the team has ramped up production in a controlled and quality-oriented way. We are currently manufacturing one 818 chassis per day, and have decided to keep production at this level. The foundation of investing in technology that was laid before production began has paid huge dividends in quality and productivity with the 818. The new laser cutting machine has reduced inventory and increased through-put with high-quality, and our investing in molding technology has produced the best panels to date.
818 1ST AT NOPI NATIONALS 2014 & PROFILED IN UK COMPLETE KIT CAR
Tom won first place in the Street Kit Car division at this year’s NOPI Nationals with his 818S!
Factory Five customer Tom W. earned first place in the Street Kit Car division at the 2014 NOPI Nationals. His 818 was also featured in the most recent issue of Complete Kit Car in England. The 818 is a perfect match for the British market as it is right hand drive, uses running gear already in Britain, and is priced to keep VAT taxes low.
The article in CKC profiles Tom’s beautiful orange 818S and gives a quick overview on the design process of the car followed by the story of Tom’s build. Click here to read more.
OVER 120 CUSTOMER ONLINE BUILDS!
The 818 was developed, tested, and marketed along with the online Factory Five community, so it should be no surprise that there are a few customer builds documented on The Factory Five Forum.
The real surprise is the amazing number and variety of builds, over 120 customer builds! These builds showcase some real innovation and remarkable craftsmanship.
Check out some of these builds like customer Gary N. from Hawaii whose stunning black 818S build photos always contain a hula girl doll! Click here to read the build stories on The Factory Five Forum.
Pictures: Factory Five customer Gary N. documents his 818S build onthe Factory Five Forum. Click here to read the thread.
FACTORY FIVE 818 RUNS 56.28 SECONDS AT LIME ROCK!
It has been a busy race development summer for the 818R. In this video, Factory Five Challenge Series National Champion John George runs 56.28 seconds. For anyone who has run at Lime Rock, this is an extremely fast time.
Climb onboard the 818R and run 56 seconds around Lime Rock Raceway.