Monday 2nd November 2009

Rally Fighter Aims To Change The World

Open-source, internet community designed 'cross-over' set for SEMA reveal

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The first production model from innovative independent car maker Local Motors will make its official debut at the SEMA show in Las Vegas tomorrow.

The Rally Fighter is a BMW 335d (what else!) powered Baja inspired 'crossover' vehicle that has been designed and built with input from its potential customers via an online community.

Aside from running BMW's greatest ever engine (check the PH forums if you don't believe that!) the Rally Fighter is said to feature a mix of bespoke and OEM parts, is rear drive only, and weighs less than 1450kgs.

Local Motors reckons it has tapped into a niche all its own, by engaging customers with the project in a manner that existing car makers and retailers can't hope to emulate. According to company owner Jay Rogers, the community-based business model will spread across the US with a series of regional 'micro factories' building different versions of the car that will be localised to suit local requirements.

Apparently these micro factories will survive independently selling 2,000 cars each year at around $50,000. Check out the video of Jay explaining the business model below - he's certainly got a vision, but will the Rally Fighter fly?

Official Rally Fighter US Specs:

Drivetrain
- BMW 335d
- 3.0 Liter, Turbocharged Inline 6-Cylinder Engine
- 6 speed automatic transmission
- 265 Horsepower @ 4200rpm
- 425 lbft @1750 RPM
- Rear Wheel Drive
- Clean Diesel
Exterior
- Overall Length: 189 inches (4800mm)
- Dual Ride Height (Manual Capability)
- Overall Height:
o 69.25 inches (1759mm) High ride height
o 61.25 inches (1556mm) Low ride height
- Overall Width: 80 inches (2057mm)
- Wheelbase: 115 inches (2921mm)
- Track Width: 69.5 inches (1765mm)
- Curb Weight: 3,000-3,200 lbs.

Chassis
- Construction-Tubular steel space frame
- Front Suspension:
o 18" Travel, independent double A-arm
o with detachable stabilizer bar
o Spring System-Long travel coil-over shock absorbers
- Rear Suspension:
o 20" Travel, 3-Link Solid axle with Panhard
o and stabilizer bars
- Lug Pattern-6 x 135mm
- Steering TypePower assisted rack and pinion
Brakes, Wheels, Tires
- 4-Wheel Anti-lock disc brakes.
- Front: 13" ventilated - dual-piston floating
- Rear: 13.7" ventilated - single-piston floating
- Emergency brake: Rear drum in rotor
- Wheels: 17"x8" aluminum alloy
- Tires:
o 275/70R-17(High ride height)
o 265/50R-20(Low ride height)

[sprinter1050]

Local Motors ?

Rally Fighter ??



Has April 1st come round early ? Or are these real names ??

[odyssey2200]

I like the guys comments in the video.

[RJDM3]

What a waste of time...the point being?

I agree...must be april 1st

[Roop]

No offence but it looks like a scaled up version of a crappy toy-grade r/c car. I think they even kept the name...

[[AJ]]

I know it was Halloween this weekend, but why is he wearing a flight suit?

I like the idea though, it could work in the US.

[Mattygooner]

What transformer is it?

[Pharle]

Good idea, getting the public to design a car. Why has nobody thought of that before...

[gavzdc5445]

Local Motors....only the yanks would think of this, has almost the same ring as Tata, Lada etc...

[dwilkie]

You guys may all mock, but if that 335d engine has been mapped, we're looking at a Veyron beater...

[gavzdc5445]

dwilkie said:

You guys may all mock, but if that 335d engine has been mapped, we're looking at a Veyron beater...

Veyron Beater? please expand upon this...lol

[monkey11477]

I know I shouldn't but I like it

[Mattygooner]

gavzdc5445 said:

dwilkie said:

You guys may all mock, but if that 335d engine has been mapped, we're looking at a Veyron beater...

Veyron Beater? please expand upon this...lol

In mapped form, you can be looking at 900HP and a torque output higher than Stephen Hawkins on crack.

[gavzdc5445]

Mattygooner said:

gavzdc5445 said:

dwilkie said:

You guys may all mock, but if that 335d engine has been mapped, we're looking at a Veyron beater...

Veyron Beater? please expand upon this...lol

In mapped form, you can be looking at 900HP and a torque output higher than Stephen Hawkins on crack.

900 Bhp? Really that much? dont know about the Hawkins though, I've seen that man rip up some tarmac through those 22" multi spokes lol

[odyssey2200]

Mattygooner said:

gavzdc5445 said:

dwilkie said:

You guys may all mock, but if that 335d engine has been mapped, we're looking at a Veyron beater...

Veyron Beater? please expand upon this...lol

In mapped form, you can be looking at 900HP and a torque output higher than Stephen Hawkins on crack.

[shirt]

this or a bowler wildcat, hmmmm.....

[LuS1fer]

We've already had the BMW X1 thread. Repost.

[LooseCannon]

monkey11477 said:

I know I shouldn't but I like it

Sadly, me too, and I hate "crossovers". Why only 2WD though?

[sprinter1050]

I've just finished (after various interruptions)watching the video.

What an extraordinary bloke that guy is and TBH I don't quite know what to make of him & his Local Motors "cool" cars concept.

His manner & language are unlike anybody else that I have seen in the motor industry & he seems to talk both eloquently and convincingly about his vision. (Ok you maybe have to ignore the American PR-type speak) Nevertheless he does seem to have created an idea with many analogies to the IT Open Source idea which he applies to car production.

Quite odd in many ways & lord knows what sort of process the States has for type approval but I'd bet it could cause them a few problems-unless of course anything they build is going straight onto the Baja circuit ??

[Libertine]

When I first read the heading, I thought Bristol were going rallying..

[BBS-LM]

Pharle said:

Good idea, getting the public to design a car. Why has nobody thought of that before...

hahahaha just what I was thinking.