Thread: Would you? (Factory 5 GTM)

I was looking at cars for my dad (who is apparently allergic to internet research) when I stumbled upon this thing:

2007 GTM Supercar Twin Turbo for Sale - 1170505 - duPontREGISTRY.com

I know it's a kit car...and I don't know who put it together...but it's pretty dang cool!

I look at these things the same way I look at classic cars, hot rods, grand touring muscle cars, etc...i.e. custom built somewhat one-off machines with a hodge-podge of high performance parts.

It's not a factory built Ferrari, Viper, GTR, etc...but could it scratch that itch. Just curious in your opinions...happy Friday!

I've spent a lot of time around these cars personally and researching them. I think that it's a really cool concept for someone that wants bang for buck performance. The looks are a love/hate thing, but if you mention that you think it's "pretty dang cool!" then you must like it. These cars really come down to the quality of the builder. I've seen these cars where it turns out looking (and functioning) like a kit car, and I have seen them where they look like a big name major manufacturer has assembled it.

The car is tiny in person. Its roof is lower than that of a Lotus Elise. I don't know how able your father is, but it may be more of a pain in the butt to even get in and out of it for him than anything. I know my father would look at the labyrinth of getting into it, and just say "NOPE!" before he even tried. Ok, I may be over exaggerating a bit, but it's something to consider.

Is the performance just hype, or does this thing really perform? It's pretty damn fast. It's a super light weight vehicle with a good amount of power to push it along (depending on the motor you have behind you). An LS7 is just stupid in this thing. Tire fire for days in the LS7 version I drove. I drove an LS2 version that I felt was much better. You really don't need a lot of power to get it going. The handling seemed okay. Admittedly, I didn't get much of a chance to carve some corners as I would have liked. So I won't really comment on it, but it did seem capable from the little bit that I was able to do.

Attention grabber? Absolutely! You will get a LOT of people asking what kind of car it is, because frankly it's not a well known vehicle. And when you answer them 99% of the time they will give you a blank stare, because frankly not a lot of people have even heard of Factory Five.

Would I have one in my garage? Meh. I use to REALLY want one, but then the excitement factor wore off. I would rather have something that was mass produced. I'm really itching for a GTR at the moment (which is very different than this car I know). On the other hand maybe you and your father are into cars like this. That's for you and him to decide. Keep in mind that when something goes wrong that you can't just run over to your local dealership for service. This is a hands on type of vehicle unless you have a mechanic that you really trust.

My $0.02.

I would

Man for 89,000 dollars I dont think I'd buy a kit car, especially when it was built by someone you dont know. Repairs would be painful, and possibly often, I wouldn't trust its reliability, the engineering probably isnt the absolute best since... its a kit car. I'm not saying its badly engineered, but I dont think it compares to a car manufacturer thats been around forever making supercars. for 89,000 I'd probably be looking at a slightly used GTR. I've never seen a Factory 5 car in person, but judging from the pictures, it just looks plasticy and cheap. Now an Ultima GTR is a kit car I've seen plenty of and would recommend if you just want speed and nothing else.

Email sent!

@NoBottle: I agree with you 100%. Just to be clear, I wasn't considering a GTM for my dad...he's kind of a label whore and wants something with more "curb appeal/cache"...he wont consider a GTR (which i also want!!! and is perfect for big guys like my dad and me) I don't even want to tell you guys what he had me looking for this week...SMH :-/

I was thinking more for myself (one day) as a track/fun car. This one seems overpriced for what it is...I agree a N/A LS2 for about $40k would be plenty and make more sense. From a purchasing standpoint, I would put this in the same category as a 1st Gen Camaro with an LSx motor or something.

I do think its cool; like the mid-engined 'vette GM should be making.

Originally Posted by InvaderMoose

Man for 89,000 dollars I dont think I'd buy a kit car, especially when it was built by someone you dont know. Repairs would be painful, and possibly often, I wouldn't trust its reliability, the engineering probably isnt the absolute best since... its a kit car. I'm not saying its badly engineered, but I dont think it compares to a car manufacturer thats been around forever making supercars. for 89,000 I'd probably be looking at a slightly used GTR. I've never seen a Factory 5 car in person, but judging from the pictures, it just looks plasticy and cheap. Now an Ultima GTR is a kit car I've seen plenty of and would recommend if you just want speed and nothing else.

For me the purpose of this car would be assembling it yourself. In essence that's what a kit car is, a project you can do in your garage over a long period of time. As far as the engineering is concerned, read up about these cars you would be surprised. Without paying someone else to do it, this is one of the best bang for your buck builds if you're a gearhead.

^I agree...but I wouldn't drive anything I built myself! Can you be a gearhead AND suck at working on cars?

Originally Posted by Hoon, Esq.

^I agree...but I wouldn't drive anything I built myself! Can you be a gearhead AND suck at working on cars?

Haha well maybe hire the help of some friends who are and pay them with beer?

$89 large seems steep for a kit car. Granted the thing has balls, but there are many, many options in that price bracket that will provide great performance (if not similar to this) and peace of mind having come from a manufacturer's factory. I'd have no problem with the 550 Spyder or AC Cobra kits, as they are straightforward builds that are around 1/2 the price of this thing.