Factory Five Racing has been around since 1995. They are a kit car manufacturer that caters to the home-built market. They have been steadily adding additional kit models to their portfolio of offerings. It seems, now, that they’ve gone and done it again.

A video started to float around the internet that shows a crazy beautiful carbon fiber shell for a new supercar that Factory Five is moving forward to make available, with full production expected in late 2020. It is the first completed body of their soon coming two-seater coupe. The video caption calls it a prototype body sneak peek of a vehicle they have tentatively called the F9R. So, take a look while you can below. There is no guarantee that this video will stay up long.

Under Review

The body still needs to be reviewed to make sure all the expectations of Factory Five are met. The finish, the fit, the corners of the shell all have to be looked at with a fine-tooth comb to make sure that when they go forward with production, the quality of the product will be top-notch. Until the final review is completed, fans of Factory Five will be left chomping at the bit. 

What is a kit car?

For those unfamiliar with a kit car, they are vehicles buyers put together from a package of components, or from a various mix of components provided by various vendors. In the case of this new kit, and all the other kits provided by Factory Five, the body, the chassis, the interior, the suspension, and the gauges can all be provided by the Factory Five. The engine, however, is left up to the customer, as Factory Five doesn’t produce engines. So to complete a vehicle, the buyer selects the kit, then sources an engine from their favorite vendor, or from the junkyard. 

Specifications

The folks over at Motor1 were able to dig around and find the specifications of this new kit. They had this to say, 

“The vehicle rides on a 104-inch wheelbase (2,642 millimeters) and measures 78 inches (1,981 millimeters) wide. The overall height is just 46 inches (1,168 millimeters). Inside, there is room for two people, and the trunk appears to offer enough room for a weekend getaway’s worth of bags.”

At 46 inches tall, this vehicle is not very tall at all. Considering the original Ford GT40 was just 40 inches tall, this new F9R is going to have a similar sportscar stance, low, lean, and mean. Throw in a modern engine and suspension, and this car will be a real head-turner at the car show, and a tire smoker on the roads. 

Alas, poor Yorick, this is only but a small taste of what will be. For it falls upon us to wait. It is but joy and sorrow all at the same time. A joy to see such an exquisite sample of a carbon fiber body, yet sorrow at having to endure until the twilight of this year for the completed products to start shipping. F9R, I saw you, a flight of infinite fancy! Sigh.