Is the Factory Five 818 a CHEAP SUPERCAR?

why spend 300 000 on the latest mclaren when you can get a similar experience for under 30 grand that's insane if you know anything about affordable supercar alternatives you know factory five racing makes some of the best and cheapest super car killers in the world kit cars that are easy to build look stellar and will even outperform modern exotics on the track today we're going to be taking a deep dive into one of their cheapest and fastest models the 818 [Music] factory 5 racing is a massachusetts-based component car brand founded in 1995. they sell an entire lineup of do-it-yourself sports cars from classic hot rods to cutting-edge exotics one of their more well-known models is the gtm it's based on a c5 corvette drivetrain and can do 0-60 in three seconds flat but what the gtm has in performance it lacks in daily usability and style which is why the company introduced a new model in 2013. the 818. when we launched the company it was if you got a mustang and 9900 you can build a factory five and that launched the company and that was our wingman that those are the people who built factory five and enabled us to grow well when we looked at the 818 we said hey let's come full circle let's go back to our wingman let's go back to a guy that maybe he doesn't have as much money as skills it's more refined and even cheaper than the gtm with jdm roots and an attractive mid-engine layout there's space in the interior for two and it can be assembled for left or right hand drive but if there's one main selling feature it's the car's ultra low curb weight and the reason behind its name the 818 weighs only 818 kilograms for comparison an any miata weighs in at around 960 kilograms and a brand new lamborghini huracan tips the scales at 1 422 kilos how does the 818 manage to undercut almost every production car while still remaining affordable and usable the answer is in its simple construction everything is assembled around a lightweight tubular steel frame with room behind the cockpit for a powerful drivetrain the engine transaxle and many of the suspension components are all taken from a single subaru donor either an impreza or wrx can be sacrificed to complete the 818 adding a legendary boxer 4 motor to the mix these japanese sports cars are well known for their respectable stock performance easy tune ability and affordable price tags the recommended o6 model year makes 230 horsepower from a 2.5 liter turbo charged four banger but owners around the world have built it out to a next snapping 500 plus ponies [Applause] [Applause] factory five says the key to keeping the 818 cheap is to use as much of the subaru as possible that's why the steering rack pedal box gagepod five-speed manual transmission and even the exhaust manifold can be carried over a few of the suspension parts are reused as well although some aftermarket components are swapped in to optimize handling for the rear wheel drive and mid-engine weight distribution the final result is one incredible zombie car it's part subaru part custom lightweight supercar and 100 awesome but how much does a fully built 818 actually cost from shop to street well it's pretty easy to find a donor wrx anywhere in the world for less than fifteen thousand dollars especially considering only the mechanical parts will be used you can pick up a rebuild title or scrap subie at a huge discount since a lot of it will be thrown out anyway after that the kit is sold at several different price points factory 5 offers 3 different versions of the a18 so whether you want to make a stripped down track car a sexy show car or a rugged daily beater there's something for every enthusiast the 818s is a soft top roadster model with a sporty recover and open air experience it costs only 9990 dollars for drivers who prefer a more sheltered ride the 818c is offered with a removable hard top for 12990 finally there's the all out performance 818r designed for pure track use which will set customers back 10 990 regardless of which kit you go for how nice your donor wrx is or even how many modifications you add on it should be pretty easy to build a turnkey a18 for under thirty thousand dollars i'm shocked at where the performance envelope of the car is it's a really high performing car and it makes sense because weight's the enemy 818 818 stands for the number of kilograms the target weight in the design goal was 1800 pounds is is 818 kilograms the 818 is the proof of the expression that a man's reach should exceed his grasp what's the downside well it can take experienced mechanics over 250 hours to fully assemble the kit this isn't a simple weekend project although the chassis does arrive fully welded with a roll bar or roll cage so most of the more challenging work has already been completed what's left is labor that most enthusiasts can handle themselves given enough time and the proper equipment plus it's part of the ownership experience when you're finished you'll own something that's not just an affordable supercar but is also uniquely yours another somewhat negative aspect to the 818 is that it can't easily accept an sti drivetrain this more powerful version of the wrx made 300 horsepower in 2006 that's 70 more than the regular wrx and nearly double what the early impreza 2.5 rs produced while the boxer motor itself does fit in the back of an 818 it would require significant modification to work properly with the right transmission and wiring harness it can be done but it's not easy and it's certainly not recommended some owners who weren't satisfied with the base wrx decided to just swap out for an electric motor instead no affordable exotic is without his drawbacks and the factory 5 818 doesn't escape that but at the end of the day it's a custom supercar alternative with incredible style impressive performance potential and a shockingly low price tag who wouldn't want one to learn more about affordable supercars and kit cars click on the playlist on the screen right now also make sure to leave a thumbs up if you enjoyed the video and comment down below whether you would build an 818 thanks for watching and i'll see you next time you

Channel: Quickshift Cars

Views: 1,312,587

Keywords: Quickshift Reviews, Quick Shift Reviews, factory five 818, factory five 818 review, factory five 818c, factory five 818s, factory five 818 kit, factory five 818 kit car, supercar kit, cheap supercar kit, supercar kit car, cheap supercar kit car, factory five supercar, cheap supercar, cheap supercars, affordable supercar, affordable supercars, factory five racing, ffr 818, factory five gtm, subaru kit car, subaru wrx kit car, subaru kit cars, cheap subaru kit car

Id: B-1bm8Uz5Cs

Length: 8min 4sec (484 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 09 2021