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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: colt45 on February 22, 2010, 04:56:46 AM

Title: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: colt45 on February 22, 2010, 04:56:46 AM
i thought this was awesome

this article taken from http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/01/ff_newrevolution/all/1 (http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/01/ff_newrevolution/all/1)

The door of a dry-cleaner-size storefront in an industrial park in Wareham, Massachusetts, an hour south of Boston, might not look like a portal to the future of American manufacturing, but it is. This is the headquarters of Local Motors, the first open source car company to reach production. Step inside and the office reveals itself as a mind-blowing example of the power of micro-factories.

In June, Local Motors will officially release the Rally Fighter, a $50,000 off-road (but street-legal) racer. The design was crowdsourced, as was the selection of mostly off-the-shelf components, and the final assembly will be done by the customers themselves in local assembly centers as part of a “build experience.” Several more designs are in the pipeline, and the company says it can take a new vehicle from sketch to market in 18 months, about the time it takes Detroit to change the specs on some door trim. Each design is released under a share-friendly Creative Commons license, and customers are encouraged to enhance the designs and produce their own components that they can sell to their peers.

The Rally Fighter was prototyped in the workshop at the back of the Wareham office, but manufacturing muscle also came from Factory Five Racing, a kit-car company and Local Motors investor located just down the road. Of course, the kit-car business has been around for decades, standing as a proof of concept for how small manufacturing can work in the car industry. Kit cars combine hand-welded steel tube chassis and fiberglass bodies with stock engines and accessories. Amateurs assemble the cars at their homes, which exempts the vehicles from many regulatory restrictions (similar to home-built experimental aircraft). Factory Five has sold about 8,000 kits to date.

One problem with the kit-car business, though, is that the vehicles are typically modeled after famous racing and sports cars, making lawsuits and license fees a constant burden. This makes it hard to profit and limits the industry’s growth, even in the face of the DIY boom.

http://www.local-motors.com/ (http://www.local-motors.com/)
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: turbob16hatch on February 22, 2010, 11:12:22 AM
Holy cool idea. that link was good read also
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: SloS13 on February 22, 2010, 11:39:53 AM
bad ass
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: 92CXyD on February 22, 2010, 12:25:24 PM
I really want to do this. :yes:

I'm curious what engine and the rest of the powertrain?
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: SloS13 on February 22, 2010, 12:28:16 PM
3.0L I6 sequential turbo diesel  I think it was like 260/420 or some shit
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: 97Econobox on February 22, 2010, 12:42:45 PM
Damn this car looks badass.  Heres some pics of the Rally Fighter that he's talking about.

(https://realhomemadeturbo.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.local-motors.com%2Fassets%2Fpr%2Frf%2FIMG_0090.jpg&hash=3d416d8a17cf11b0f91c00767c6a34260216fd8b)
(https://realhomemadeturbo.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.local-motors.com%2Fassets%2Fpr%2Frf%2FIMG_0262.jpg&hash=5bb5e4e4700ac7acb8ede4da95044468f91b3233)
(https://realhomemadeturbo.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.local-motors.com%2Fassets%2Fpr%2Frf%2Fpic22.jpg&hash=1556bc748bb969ffae97ea4c99e2a8ee34dab02e)
(https://realhomemadeturbo.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.local-motors.com%2Fassets%2Fpr%2Frf%2Frf149.jpg&hash=d067263b5f8d1bfeae88d53496096247b6995401)
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: 1fasthf on February 22, 2010, 02:45:04 PM
those are mad max as all hell!!1

i love em
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: Foowee on February 22, 2010, 03:37:04 PM
$50k and I have to finish building it?  Sounds like a sweet deal  :?:
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: salesmonkey on February 22, 2010, 09:27:03 PM
$50k and I have to finish building it?  Sounds like a sweet deal  :?:

ya im guessing thats going to detour a few people from buying them, but for some would be a good selling point. they need to make it a option. thats what i would do at least.
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: ochoa on February 22, 2010, 10:04:47 PM
that car is sick as hell i can think of a lot of other vehicles that cost damd near 50,000 that i wouldnt pay half that price for
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: malichite on February 22, 2010, 11:24:02 PM
Fucking money!!!

Episode 10: "A Car Story" - The Rally Fighter Takes Flight! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-PHaK6Bnes#normal)
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: ratcityrex on February 22, 2010, 11:50:45 PM
Those tail lights look like newer civic tail lights. Still pimp
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: RotaryGeek on February 23, 2010, 12:02:58 AM
Yeah i have that issue at home. it was a good read. wired is great shitter material. always bringing some crazy cool story like this to the bowl.
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: 92CXyD on February 23, 2010, 12:08:02 AM
Yeah i have that issue at home. it was a good read. wired is great shitter material. always bringing some crazy cool story like this to the bowl.

I like the info. a $1,000 3-d printer on the same page as this article.
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: shadow on February 23, 2010, 02:40:56 AM
street mode

(https://realhomemadeturbo.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diseno-art.com%2Fimages_4%2FLocal_Motors_Rally_Fighter_street_400.jpg&hash=f18edf9ff929a75c903c8eec46df7e25aa50426f)
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: Doug on February 23, 2010, 02:56:07 AM
$50k and I have to finish building it?  Sounds like a sweet deal  :?:

I agree, $50k should be fully assembled. Should be a good bit cheaper if you have to build it your self.
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: 2slow on February 23, 2010, 06:00:24 AM
do you think if you paid them 50k theyd replicated a crx with a zc in it? on second though do you think they would build you 10 crxs
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: d-rail on February 23, 2010, 06:35:53 AM
I think its pretty sweet. They let you make your own shit if you want and even if your putting together the car, it's got more of the built not bought feel to it. Killer idea, but I'd say wrong time in the economy.
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: Jorsher on February 23, 2010, 04:45:49 PM
Those tail lights look like newer civic tail lights. Still pimp

Yeah that's what I thought they were.

Been wondering why there wasn't an "open-source" car for a long time, but guess I was wrong.

Too pricey though.

Need to make an open source platform then just have different companies sell different bodies.
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: 97Econobox on February 23, 2010, 04:47:36 PM
well i think they let you come in and create your own using their tools and facilities.  so really i don't see why you couldn't create your own "crx" and just have it look slightly different. 
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: 92CXyD on February 23, 2010, 04:49:25 PM
Those tail lights look like newer civic tail lights. Still pimp

Yeah that's what I thought they were.

Been wondering why there wasn't an "open-source" car for a long time, but guess I was wrong.

Too pricey though.

Need to make an open source platform then just have different companies sell different bodies.
well i think they let you come in and create your own using their tools and facilities.  so really i don't see why you couldn't create your own "crx" and just have it look slightly different. 

We need an open source Neo-CRX type platform  ;D

Anything better than the CRZ  :?:
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: 2slow on February 23, 2010, 06:56:36 PM
i seen a concept crx some one made it looked like the fucked a crx
(https://realhomemadeturbo.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi257.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fhh240%2FTW1NTURB03KGT%2F06crx.jpg&hash=b355924a29a681012c4fe13f3193ccde45bd1365)
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: Foowee on February 24, 2010, 12:54:45 AM
Find an insight with dead batteries for dirt.  Swap in something worth messing with.  Cut wheel arches into the skirts.  Figure out how to make the back wider...

(https://realhomemadeturbo.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.streetracersonline.com%2Fgallery%2Falbums%2Fuserpics%2F10001%2Fnormal_crx_kit.jpg&hash=b89d423dfd12691e1d1d03ae35aeabfca77e28ba)

could easily be done for <$8k...
Title: Re: the first open source car company to reach production
Post by: 92CXyD on February 24, 2010, 10:18:35 AM
Find an insight with dead batteries for dirt.  Swap in something worth messing with.  Cut wheel arches into the skirts.  Figure out how to make the back wider...

(https://realhomemadeturbo.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.streetracersonline.com%2Fgallery%2Falbums%2Fuserpics%2F10001%2Fnormal_crx_kit.jpg&hash=b89d423dfd12691e1d1d03ae35aeabfca77e28ba)

could easily be done for <$8k...

I love the look of that car.  ;D :yes: