Rally Fighter
| Rally Fighter | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Local Motors |
| Production | 2010-2016 (50 produced) |
| Assembly | Chandler, Arizona (Local Motors) |
| Designer | Sangho Kim |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Off-Road Buggy |
| Body style | 2-door Coupe |
| Layout | Front Mid-engine, Rear-wheel drive |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 6.2 L GM LS3 V8 |
| Power output | 430 hp (321 kW; 436 PS) |
| Transmission | 4-speed 4L85-E automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,921 mm (115.0 in) |
| Length | 4,800 mm (189.0 in) |
| Width | 2,057 mm (81.0 in) |
| Height | 1,759 mm (69.3 in) high ride, 1,556 mm (61.3 in) low ride |
| Curb weight | 1,720 kg (3,792 lb) |
The Rally Fighter is an American automobile manufactured by Local Motors and introduced in 2009. It is the first car to be developed using co-creation design.[1] The exterior design was submitted by Sangho Kim and selected through community votes. The Rally Fighter is street legal in all 50 states.[2]
Specifications
The Rally Fighter is powered by a front-mid mounted 6.2 L GM LS3 V8 that produces 430 hp (321 kW; 436 PS) at 5,900 rpm and 424 lb⋅ft (575 N⋅m) of torque at 4,600 rpm. Power goes to the rear wheels through a 4-speed GM 4L85-E automatic transmission. The suspension features double A-arms up front and a 4-link Ford 9-inch axle in the rear, both using coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers. This gives it 16 inches of suspension travel in the front and 20 inches in the rear.[3] It also features a fiberglass body to save weight. In the interior, the Rally Fighter is equipped with standard 3-point harness seat belts, a full roll cage and Recaro seats, as well as amenities such as air conditioning, stereo and power windows.[4]
Build process
The Rally Fighter used an assembly process where the buyer of the car went to one of Local Motors' micro-factories to assemble their car with help from a team of Local Motors employees. This also allowed the Rally Fighter to be titled as a kit car or component car in the United States.[5] The Rally Fighter is street legal in all 50 states and upwards of 50 cars have been produced.[2]
Crowd sourcing
The Rally Fighter is an open-source vehicle.[4][6] The Rally Fighter is believed to be the first production vehicle designed through crowd-sourcing, the process of drawing input from a global community of interested people via the Internet. The winning design was submitted by Sangho Kim of Pasadena, California and is inspired by a P-51 Mustang fighter plane. It was chosen through a vote in 2009 by a community of people on the Internet. Using this method, the car was developed from start to finish in 18 months.[7]
In the media
The Rally Fighter was featured in an episode of the American version of the television show Top Gear,[8] as well as the Discovery Channel television show Game Changers, which showed the build process that purchasing customers would go through.
The 2014 film Transformers: Age of Extinction features several Rally Fighters used by "Cemetery Wind", a fictional black ops unit of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Rally Fighter is also featured in The Fate of the Furious (2017).[9]
In Grand Theft Auto Online, a car named "Brawler" made by manufacturer "Coil" can be bought as part of the Ill-Gotten Gains Part 2 DLC. This car is based on the Rally Fighter. The Rally Fighter also appears in the video game Forza Horizon 2, as well as Forza Motorsport 6, Forza Horizon 3, Forza Motorsport 7, Forza Horizon 4, Forza Horizon 5, and the mobile game CSR Racing 2 and Racing Rivals.
References
- ^ "Heritage · Local Motors". Local Motors. Retrieved 2018-05-26.
- ^ a b "2012 LOCAL MOTORS RALLY FIGHTER207401- Barrett-Jackson Auction Company - World's Greatest Collector Car Auctions". azure.barrett-jackson.com. Retrieved 2018-05-26.
- ^ "For Sale: 430HP V8 Rally Fighter". Silodrome. 2017-09-27. Retrieved 2018-05-26.
- ^ a b Ballaban, Michael. "The Local Motors Rally Fighter Is An Open-Source All-Road Beast". Jalopnik. Retrieved 2018-05-26.
- ^ Jay Leno's Garage (2013-01-13), Local Motors Rally Fighter - Jay Leno's Garage, retrieved 2018-05-26
- ^ Nelson Ireson. "2010 SEMA Preview: Local Motors Open-Source Rally Fighter". 2010.
- ^ "How a Car is Made: Every Step from Invention to Launch". Car and Driver. Retrieved 2018-05-26.
- ^ Top Gear (2013-05-02), Rally Fighter Vs Air Boat | Top Gear USA | BBC, retrieved 2018-05-26
- ^ "Rally Fighter Featured in Transformers: Age of Extinction". Local Motors. 2014-06-28. Retrieved 2014-09-29.