This summer will mark the two-year anniversary of the introduction of the new Factory Five 818! Shortly thereafter we began shipping 818S kits. This summer we will celebrate this milestone by adding a new chapter to the 818 story with the new 818C Coupe model! The coupe will join the existing 818S street model and 818R race model. We will unveil the 818C at our summer Open House on June 13th.

The last 818 update I sent out was in September 2014! That seems like only yesterday. While customers have been building amazing cars and winning praise at shows and events, the team here at Factory Five has continued to work tirelessly to make the 818 platform stronger, faster, and to offer more build options.

Now with the warm weather just around the corner, I’m anxious to get the cars out and start enjoying the fun results of all this hard work.



Dave Smith
President

PRODUCTION PASSES 350, LEAD TIMES REDUCED!

When the 818 entered production, lead times approached a year! The manufacturing team gets big credit for reducing those lead times to only 4-6 weeks. Hand-in-hand with the production ramp-up has been improvements in molds and tools, as well as the accuracy and efficiency that comes with more than a year and a half of regular production. Order an 818 today and the lead time is weeks, not months thanks to the efforts of our manufacturing team. We’ve posted photos of the facility/production upgrades. Check out a day in the life at Factory Five.


As of March 2015, the new 818 model passed 350 units built! Of those 350 cars, 66 were R models like the one above.

ALL-NEW 818C COUPE MODEL TO DEBUT AT OPEN HOUSE 2015!

In January, we showed you our prototype shape for the new 818C removable hard top. Since then, production molds have been built and the tech/R&D team has been building an all-new car that will serve as the first 818C model.



Here is a photo of the first part out of the mold. We have decided to make some minor changes to the part, but this picture gives a good idea of what the final shape will be. Pricing and other details will be announced at the Open House debut where the production car will be unveiled. Click here for more details and photos of the 818C.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BUILD 818S X2!



Experience Aviation is a charitable organization run by world-record setting pilot Barrington Irving, who was the youngest and first African-American pilot to fly solo around the world. Experience Aviation teaches inner-city youth valuable skills and self-confidence.

Factory Five Racing sponsored this important charity a few years ago. Since then, the students have built a GTM and an 818S. Now they are doing it again! The students from Experience Aviation are building their second 818! We will keep you updated. Click here to read more.

NEW 818 BUILD CLASSES JOIN FACTORY FIVE BUILD SCHOOL!



Factory Five Engineer Jesper I. and Tech Support Specialist Jay K. headed over to Howell, MI to attend the first 818S class at the Factory Five-Mott Community College three-day build school. The 818 now joins the Hot Rod and Mk4 Roadster classes at the school.

Jesper and Jay were there for the Friday and Saturday portions of the class, and all the school instructors – Jim, Scott, Todd, and Charles – were there for the full three days. Seven students attended the inaugural class. 818 classes will be scheduled going forward based on demand and estimated for every other month.

Click here for photos from the build class or to register.

DIY FACTORY FIVE VS. PORSCHE - GRASSROOTS MOTORSPORTS

“We started with nothing more than a pile of parts, a wrecked Subaru, and an instruction manual, and we finished with a car that can attract drooling bystanders, beat a Porsche on a track, and take you to work every day.” – Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

The 10th and final issue of Grassroots Motorsports’ 818 Build Series was a success. The crew took the newly-built street car to the track and pitted it against a race-prepped Porsche Boxster. Click here to read the final article or visit www.grassrootsmotorsports.com.


The crew at Grassroots Motorsports built their 818S over the last year with help from Factory Five customer Wayne Presley from Very Cool Parts, and concluded their series with street and track testing.