United States-based kit-car manufacturer, Five Factory, has introduced the coupe variant of its successful 818 model.
Factory Five was founded by Dave Smith in 1995 and its manufacturing facilities are located in Wareham, Massachusetts. The company produces component cars that are sold for the owners to assemble their own functioning cars.
The car kits manufactured by Factory Five are known for their suspension and lightweight chassis. One of their kits is the mid-engined rear-wheel drive ‘818’-  based on the Subaru Impreza/WRX (2002-07). ‘818’ stands for the weight of the kit (which is 818 kilograms) and is Factory Five’s first ‘global’ product.
The running gear comes from Subaru because of latter’s engine layout, lightweight construction and fantastic handling. Moreover, the Impreza can be easily modified and is available all across the globe. It’s not surprising to see that the 818 kit has been purchased by customers from the United Kingdom and Australia.
Factory Five promises that the 818 kit is its most technologically-advanced creation. Yet, it takes up to 250 hours of man-work to get a fully functioning car.
Factory Five provides the frame, body, aluminium and composite chassis panels, front and rear suspension, steering, fuel and cooling systems, exterior and interiors trims and lighting. However, all other components have to be acquired by the owner and get assembled by an expert. Nonetheless, the total cost stands around the $15,000-mark.
The 818 Coupe is the third model of the 818 platform, joining the street and race variants. In the pictures above is the debut model which was showcased at the 2015 Factory Five Racing Open House.
The chassis is borrowed from the street and race kits but the coupe features a revised body design. The production of the 818 Coupe will commence in August, with the pre-booking having already begun.
[Via Factory Five]
