Factory Five Racing

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Factory Five Racing, Inc.
Type Privately Owned
Founded 1995
Headquarters Flag of the United States Wareham, Massachusetts, USA
Key people Mark Smith, Owner/R&D; David Smith, Owner/President
Industry Automotive
Products Kit cars
Revenue ▲ $7.5 Million USD (2007)[1]
Employees 50
Website Factoryfive.com

Factory Five Racing, Inc. (FFR) is an American automobile company that designs and manufactures assembly kits for replicars and sports cars.

Contents

[edit] Current models

The "kit cars" manufactured by Factory Five are sold as components. They are not pre-assembled by Factory Five. They are intended to be assembled by the purchaser or by a third-party.

[edit] 65 Roadster Mark 3 (MKIII)

The original FFR Roadster was based on the innovation of using running gear from a single modern donor vehicle, the high performance Mustang. The Mustang running gear was chosen for a number of reasons, but mostly because of high performance relative to cost and ready availiability of parts through dealers. The earlier Mustang 302 V-8 is the exact same block that powered the original vintage AC Cobra and Ford GT-40 to World Championships in the 60’s. Over a million Mustangs were built between 1987 and 2004 and the performance after-market for these parts is well established.

The donor car path is not the only way to build an FFR Roadster. The remaining mechanical parts can be purchased new or used from a variety of sources. The kit has been modified to accommodate a variety of engine, drive-train, and suspension choices. Over half of the Factory Five customers today build their kit using engine/drivetrain parts from a donor Mustang, whereas the remainder elect to buy all new parts or a combination thereof.[2] Jim Youngs, the founder and editor of Kit Car Builder, says the Factory Five Cobra is the country's bestselling kit car.

[edit] Challenge Series Racer

The design for the Challenge Racer started with a stock Factory Five Roadster. Changes were made to make it an effective “Open-Track” vehicle designed with road racing in mind. The welded in SCCA derived cage and frame design means it is safer than bolt-on equipment and the Mustang running gear means it is affordable.

The car is commonly referred to as the Spec Racer and qualifies for National FFR-NASA Spec Series. Also held each year is a 2-day National race to determine the over-all series champion. The Nationals are held each year in conjunction with the FFR National Owners Group Meet. Regardless of whether or not the car is raced in any regional series, anyone who owns a Challenge car is eligible to attend the annual championship race and vie for the national title.[3]

[edit] Type 65 Coupe

The FFR Type 65 Coupe is the culmination of four years of engineering and design work. The first prototype was completed in the spring of 2000 and production of chassis kits began September 2000. In its design, all the FFR racing components are included in a package suitable for street use. The Coupe is a rendition of the famous world championship coupes of the 60’s, but with modern technologies.[4]

[edit] GTM Supercar

The GTM is a V-8 powered, mid-engined car with a composite body shell and an aluminum and steel tube frame chassis. The car uses GM Performance engine and suspension parts with four-corner coil-over shocks, large brakes and a Porsche 911 Transaxle and is foremost a high performance car. The GTM is light and aerodynamic, with excellent weight distribution and precise race-car handling/braking derived from the Chevrolet Corvette C-5. In the September 2007 issue, Car and Driver reviewed a prototype GTM LS7 and their testing achieved 0-60 mph in 3.0 seconds and 1/4 mile in 11.0 seconds at 132 mph, beating their tested speeds for the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, Porsche Carrera GT, Lamborghini Murcielago, Ferrari Enzo and other higher priced production vehicles.[5] The testing shows the GTM is designed to compete with the fastest accelerating cars in the world.

The car is engineered to be built as a chassis kit by a person at home. Items like A/C, power windows, and complete interior make the vehicle suitable for general use.[6]

[edit] Suspended Production Models

[edit] Spyder GT

Production of the Spyder GT kit was suspended on October 15, 2006 for reasons of production capacity for the GTM and its slow sales. There were about 38 kits sold.

Style and performance in one great package. The kit has both vintage lines and a modern aerodynamic shape. The chassis is based on the high performance race-proven FFR Coupe. The Spyder GT has a confidence inspiring chassis and daily driver comforts that make it a capable and versatile package.

[edit] References

  1. ^ BizJournals.com Factory Five Company Profile [1]
  2. ^ Factory Five Official Website: 65 Roadster Mark 3 [2]
  3. ^ Factory Five Official Website: Challenge Series Racer [3]
  4. ^ Factory Five Official Website: Type 65 Coupe [4]
  5. ^ Car and Driver - 2007 Factory Five Racing GTM LS7 [5]
  6. ^ Factory Five Official Website: GTM Supercar [6]

[edit] External links