Topic: the first open source car company to reach production (Read 4626 times)

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

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 â€œbuild experience.â€ 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 industryâ€™s growth, even in the face of the DIY boom.

http://www.local-motors.com/

turbob16hatch · « **Reply #1 on:** February 22, 2010, 11:12:22 AM »

Holy cool idea. that link was good read also

SloS13 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 22, 2010, 11:39:53 AM »

bad ass

92CXyD · « **Reply #3 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?

SloS13 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 22, 2010, 12:28:16 PM »

3.0L I6 sequential turbo diesel I think it was like 260/420 or some shit

97Econobox · « **Reply #5 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.

1fasthf · « **Reply #6 on:** February 22, 2010, 02:45:04 PM »

those are mad max as all hell!!1

i love em

Foowee · « **Reply #7 on:** February 22, 2010, 03:37:04 PM »

$50k and I have to finish building it? Sounds like a sweet deal

salesmonkey · « **Reply #8 on:** February 22, 2010, 09:27:03 PM »

Quote from: Foowee on February 22, 2010, 03:37:04 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.

ochoa · « **Reply #9 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

malichite · « **Reply #10 on:** February 22, 2010, 11:24:02 PM »

Fucking money!!!

Episode 10: "A Car Story" - The Rally Fighter Takes Flight!

ratcityrex · « **Reply #11 on:** February 22, 2010, 11:50:45 PM »

Those tail lights look like newer civic tail lights. Still pimp

RotaryGeek · « **Reply #12 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.

92CXyD · « **Reply #13 on:** February 23, 2010, 12:08:02 AM »

Quote from: 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.

I like the info. a $1,000 3-d printer on the same page as this article.

shadow · « **Reply #14 on:** February 23, 2010, 02:40:56 AM »

street mode

Doug · « **Reply #15 on:** February 23, 2010, 02:56:07 AM »

Quote from: Foowee on February 22, 2010, 03:37:04 PM

$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.

2slow · « **Reply #16 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

d-rail · « **Reply #17 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.

Jorsher · « **Reply #18 on:** February 23, 2010, 04:45:49 PM »

Quote from: ratcityrex on February 22, 2010, 11:50:45 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.

97Econobox · « **Reply #19 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.

92CXyD · « **Reply #20 on:** February 23, 2010, 04:49:25 PM »

Quote from: Jorsher on February 23, 2010, 04:45:49 PM

Quote from: ratcityrex on February 22, 2010, 11:50:45 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.

Quote from: 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.

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

Anything better than the CRZ

2slow · « **Reply #21 on:** February 23, 2010, 06:56:36 PM »

i seen a concept crx some one made it looked like the fucked a crx

Foowee · « **Reply #22 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...

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

92CXyD · « **Reply #23 on:** February 24, 2010, 10:18:35 AM »

Quote from: 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...

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

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

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Author Topic: the first open source car company to reach production (Read 4626 times)