SEMA 2008: Factory Five GTM looks slick in copper
by Frank Filipponio on Nov 9th 2008 at 10:30AM 
Click above for high-res gallery of the Factory Five GTM
Factory Five is one of those companies that you may have heard of but probably don't know where. If you happen to correctly relate them to the car world, you might remember them as a kit car company, one of dozens of Cobra re-creators out there. Well, a few years back they decided to do something a little bit different. They created their own unique design rather than copying someone else's work. The result was the Factory Five GTM.
Some see Ford GT40, others see Corvette and still others think it's an Ascari, Nobel, Rossion or even a Carrera GT. While it may somewhat resemble some of those other great shapes, it is truly something unique. Well, sort of. Like the Anteros we just told you about, there's a bit of Corvette in the mix. It uses a bespoke chassis, but is powered by an LS7 V8. Weighing in at just 2,350 lbs. it has the power-to-weight ratio of a Rolex Grand-Am prototype. It can get to sixty from a standstill in 3 seconds and cover the quarter in 11 flat. We saw one in Vegas at SEMA and when people asked about it in the supercar gallery post, we decided it might need a little extra attention. Enjoy the gallery and if you decide you'd like one, you're in luck. Factory Five is offering $2,000 off the kits.
Photos copyright ©2008 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Eddie 10:39AM (11/09/2008)
That gauge cluster is badass. I'd love to drive an LS7 car that weights less than 2500lbs.
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Mobius_1 10:42AM (11/09/2008)
That looks nicer than the other cars in the photo, by quite a lot.
I also see a little MC12, and that's definitely not a bad thing. And the performance sounds pretty awesome. They should go racing with this.
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Metar 11:26AM (11/09/2008)
Exactly what I thought - there's something MC12-ish in the front..
And that's a good thing. The MC12's classic lines are some of the best designs in the modern supercar world.
Bob 11:40AM (11/09/2008)
I own one. They're super fast and they actually drive very well. I'm glad I purchased it.
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Mobius_1 12:13PM (11/09/2008)
If you are serious (I think you are) unlike some commenters here, I do envy you, A LOT. Btw would you please try fitting a LS9 in there?
arturo 12:02PM (11/09/2008)
I wonder how good it rides!
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rygar 12:20PM (11/09/2008)
Nice ride but are those Yaris air vents in the interior?
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Snutz 12:32PM (11/09/2008)
I've wanted one of these ever since C&D did a story on it sometime last year. The kit itself is about $19k if I remember correctly, and then you need the transaxle off of an older Porsche, don't remember exactly which model but it costs another few grand. And then for the base model you just need a donor C5 Corvette, which you can find for $10-15k if you look hard enough and can find some with a little bit of body damage. And then once you part out the rest of the Vette it won't have been that expensive.
Of course the version they tested had a C6 Z06 as a donor car and used the transaxle from a 911 GT3 to handle the extra power, but that's gonna be a little pricier.
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Trent 12:35PM (11/09/2008)
yeah, a little. ;)
kwsdurango 1:21PM (11/09/2008)
I like the blog but you guys need to either invest in better camera equipment or get a new photographer. Artsy angles are cool and all but how about one decent whole side shot? Number 5 is the closest thing to a side shot yet there's no sense of how low the car is. Maybe drop $150.00 on a cheap wide angle lens or something?
Factory Five builds cool kits... Interesting car for sure.
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dachshundtooateez 2:18PM (11/09/2008)
...It looks like a GT40? Actually worse than that, it looks like a GT40 that someone thought they could "improve" upon... Which just makes any speculation of "kit car" origins more obviously arrived at; another purported American supercar made by sticking a Corvette engine into... Anything relatively swoopy.
I suppose I can't fault it in that case, but for the attention that it receives, it not having been quite an original idea... I've never lusted for that situation in all the years that it's been done.
Though I can respect anyone who would build one of these (well), and otherwise garner meager respect on the street... It would have to be a true driver's driver to love that car, as its pose-mobile status and er... social mobility are limited. But I can't get too excited, and I doubt anyone will remember much of this car in a few years.
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alon 2:49AM (11/10/2008)
who pissed in your coffee this morning?
FFR has been around for quite a while and is doing very well. I would be shocked if anyone "forgot" about the company. My cousin used to be an engineer there and did alot of work in the early GTM design. I did a 2ish week internship there when I was in high school and that is quite a company. I got a ride in a 500+ hp cobra replica and let me tell you, that is one amazing machine.
dachshundtooateez 5:06AM (11/10/2008)
I'd known of Factory Five for quite a few years, in any case. Cobras of any make are renowned cars, but I can expect only as much recognition and reputation for this one particular kit of theirs as can fill perhaps a Fiberfab Jamaican; which is generous, as that's one of the more well known kits ever produced.
And I'm as partial regarding coffee as I am about cars. I suppose I can't blame everyone for recreating the GT40 in their own mold, after all, even Ford has done this.
Rocketboy 4:01PM (11/09/2008)
Chip Foose called, he said that the rims were WAY too small.
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Michael 5:25PM (11/09/2008)
It's funny, I was looking at their website earlier. It's a very compelling option. Maybe once I'm out of school... I've always wanted to build a car.
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RLQ 12:23AM (11/10/2008)
One of my favorite kit cars keeps getting better.
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Ed 3:24PM (11/10/2008)
That looks pretty awesome. I figured it was a Ford GT with a (good) bodykit. Shame it probably only comes in left hand drive.
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Shane Mace 8:16PM (1/03/2009)
This is to anyone who has posted:
Do any of you own a GTM?
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