Kitcars and Mainstream Media Coverage

[fuoriserie]

I just noticed this new sportscar project and was wondering if this is a kitcar with excellent marketing by its founders ? the concept idea is very good, but I can't see a lot of differences from a well designed mid-engine kitcar( Sylva, Mev and a few others come to mind...)

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyI...
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/zenos-e...
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/66281/zenos-...
http://www.topspeed.com/cars/zenos/2016-zenos-e10-...


I like the concept, but to me it's a good kitcar design with very excellent media exposure on mainstream magazines and they're doing a very good job:

What do you all think ? is this the real major problem for most kitcars manufacturers these days ? is the mainstream media a major problem to overcome and why is it ?

Edited by fuoriserie on Monday 7th October 16:40

[Stuart Mills]

I agree, there does appear to be kit car similarities in that design, and yes, the x Caterham boss, (the man behind this new car) definitely benefits from excellent media contacts.
Is it premature marketing considering their proposed release date of 2018?
Regular offers are made by kit car media/manufacturers to the general media regarding new products and testing etc but most of it falls on deaf ears.
Classic car magazines could cover kits more but main stream mags tend to stick in the main to main stream products. That said there is a kit car feature in print for one of the big selling mags, we have Steve Hole of TKC to thank for that. See here;

http://www.totalkitcar.com/2013/10/03/tkc-spreadin...

Edited by Stuart Mills on Monday 7th October 22:41

[fuoriserie]

Stuart Mills said:

I agree, there does appear to be kit car similarities in that design, and yes, the x Caterham boss, (the man behind this new car) definitely benefits from excellent media contacts.
Is it premature marketing considering their proposed release date of 2018?
Regular offers are made by kit car media/manufacturers to the general media regarding new products and testing etc but most of it falls on deaf ears.
Classic car magazines could cover kits more but main stream mags tend to stick in the main to main stream products. That said there is a kit car feature in print for one of the big selling mags, we have Steve Hole of TKC to thank for that. See here;

http://www.totalkitcar.com/2013/10/03/tkc-spreadin...

Edited by Stuart Mills on Monday 7th October 22:41

Just today:

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/News/Search-Results/F...

http://www.worldcarfans.com/113100763960/zenos-e10...

http://www.carscoops.com/2013/10/new-rendering-fin...

and I've seen a lot more, but still wonder if kitcar marketing is up to scratch and wonder why the mainstream media isn't noticing the same concept coming from this industry?

I'm sure there is some bias on kitcar consideration, it's pretty obvious by now, but wonder if the word kitcar should be changed into something else? I know that it has been tried in the past, but still think that marketing is important and maybe the word kitcar is old and doesn't impress as much as: just check their website for some good marketing, info and desirability...

http://www.zenoscars.com/zenos-range/e10-specifica...

If a kitcar could get this exposure I'm sure that quite a few manufacturers could be happy...

[Stuart Mills]

A report I read states a Coupe will be released in 2018 and the x boss of Caterham is releasing the first of his new cars next year just before Caterham release their Aero 7, does that sound like a peeing competition?
If that is the case it will be good news for the potential buyer as the competition result in a price war or a power battle.

I agree it would be great to have a fresh start and new name for our scene with out a preconceived image.
How about "home built" or "DIY car" or "self build" or "component car" or "low volume" or "specialist car" . It may take a generation or 2 to change the popular term though.

[Fastpedeller]

Stuart Mills said:

I agree it would be great to have a fresh start and new name for our scene with out a preconceived image.
How about "home built" or "DIY car" or "self build" or "component car" or "low volume" or "specialist car" . It may take a generation or 2 to change the popular term though.

"Eco" or "recycled" to keep with the current buzzwords

[Stuart Mills]

Fastpedeller said:

"Eco" or "recycled" to keep with the current buzzwords

Yeah, how about "recyclacar"

[fuoriserie]

Stuart Mills said:

A report I read states a Coupe will be released in 2018 and the x boss of Caterham is releasing the first of his new cars next year just before Caterham release their Aero 7, does that sound like a peeing competition?
If that is the case it will be good news for the potential buyer as the competition result in a price war or a power battle.

I agree it would be great to have a fresh start and new name for our scene with out a preconceived image.
How about "home built" or "DIY car" or "self build" or "component car" or "low volume" or "specialist car" . It may take a generation or 2 to change the popular term though.

I like "low volume Specialist Cars" as it gives the right idea and impression to a potential new customer and the fact that it's a bespoke niche product .

I think most still underestimate the power of words when describing something and things have certainly moved on from the 50's....

[fuoriserie]

http://skiddmark.com/2014/01/behind-story-zenos-ca...

Another interesting interview.

[Justaredbadge]

They are getting column inches in the "mainstream press" because their car is to he sold as a road car, not a kit from what I can fathom.

It helps that they are using modern techniques in their concept designs. It is not just another steel spaceframe of questionable integrity with a poorly proportioned fiberglass body riveted on.

It helps that they have contacts in the media but this is a very different prospect to your average kit car.

[qdos]

Justaredbadge said:

They are getting column inches in the "mainstream press" because their car is to he sold as a road car, not a kit from what I can fathom.

It helps that they are using modern techniques in their concept designs. It is not just another steel spaceframe of questionable integrity with a poorly proportioned fiberglass body riveted on.

It helps that they have contacts in the media but this is a very different prospect to your average kit car.

This is the problem with the public perception of "Kit Cars" and it couldn't really be much more wrong. It's the general sneering attitude of many such as Top Gear comedy and in fact many a post on Pistonheads and other forums that deride any thing that's self built.

People are sheep and they tend to follow. Marketing works very well with this and here's a good illustration of it in action from a few years ago



I know that there's many of us in the Kit Car industry that can take a quick look at mass produced cars and point out no end of problems and bad design with them. Indeed we were looking at a totally destroyed dual mass clutch just yeasterday moaning about them which lead us on to a whole string of things wrong with mass produced production cars and how bad they are but of course the difference is that they sell in their millions to people who frankly don't care and just want to get from A to B though many of them like to show off with bling they are sold along the way. Just look at the advert above.

Just a general sweeping statement from me and I mean no ill feeling to JustARedBadge he just happened to say what so many people say about kit cars and no matter what name we like to call kits there will always be the perception that only the 'Experts' can build a good car.

I'd like to remind people of the fact that most of the British top sports car marques have indeed somewhere along the way been available in kit form

Marcos, TVR, Lotus, Noble, Ultima, Caterham, to name but a few

I for one am proud of our Kit Car industry and I am more than happy to stand by any of my kit cars and say I built this. I honestly couldn't say that of the production cars I've owned even if I'd built them

[Justaredbadge]

I wouldn't disagree with any of that. I think my statement can stand by yours and not contradict each other. But I will say that I never questioned any build quality emanating from the kit builder, just the kit producers. Also, that BMW ad is a spoof.

my main point was that they are in the "mainstream media" because a) they have the contacts, b) they have a pretty good history in the car industry and c) they are making a small sportscar.

They haven't said they are making a new kit car.


to give some perspective to my above comments, in 2015 I hope to start my own kit car company. i have a concept. I have some detailed designs and I am producing more. I have a viable donor vehicle and I have built enough kit cars (or kit type cars) to know what is a good way of doing things and what is not.


whether it be bold claims, bluster or bullst, I hope to move the technology level of the kit car industry, as a whole, on with my design.

We will have to see if it works out like that. My initial comments on this thread stand though. Not just as a disinterested bystander, but as someone taking a close interest in what could be a shared market sector.

Edited by Justaredbadge on Wednesday 8th January 11:57

[qdos]

Excellent! welcome aboard the Kit Car industry it's really good to hear you're planning on joining it too :-) And I agree your comments are very valid and are what a lot of folk also think.

As with the likes of Skoda jokes I hope things can be turned around and I'm sure they will be in many ways. There's some mighty fine Kit Cars out here people really should not be put off in any way by the term 'Kit Car' I will happily put up the kit's I'm involved with for comparison with any 'production' cars

[ugg10]

Just to add to the OP, the Zenos E10 has been launched at autosports today http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyI... at a price of £25k which puts is directly head to head with Caterham and Lotus Elise but at a lower (just) price). Good effort as far as I can see. All the best to them.

[Justaredbadge]

qdos said:

Excellent! welcome aboard the Kit Car industry it's really good to hear you're planning on joining it too :-) And I agree your comments are very valid and are what a lot of folk also think.

As with the likes of Skoda jokes I hope things can be turned around and I'm sure they will be in many ways. There's some mighty fine Kit Cars out here people really should not be put off in any way by the term 'Kit Car' I will happily put up the kit's I'm involved with for comparison with any 'production' cars

Thank you.

Now all I have to do is align my aspirations with my product.