2010 Local Motors Rally Fighter

The LM Rally Fighter began as a popular Checkup, moved to the Design Process, where the LM Community of designers oversaw its development, and now will be the first Local Motors vehicle.

Local Motors in San Franciso, the world’s only open, community-driven car company. They will begin taking reservations for their daring new desert racing vehicle, the Rally Fighter. Local Motors has the world’s largest community of car designers and engineers embracing open collaboration to develop innovative cars for underserved, passionate enthusiast communities. Local Motors cars are built in regional Micro-Factories, which will be a groundbreaking fusion of advanced, small-volume manufacturing and amazing ownership experiences.

The Rally Fighter is an off-road racer, custom designed and built for the deserts of the American Southwest. The first of its kind, the Rally Fighter was designed by community member Sangho Kim of Pasadena, California, and developed in open collaboration with the Local Motors community. This community, at www.local-motors.com, includes car enthusiasts, designers and engineers from around the globe. Sangho and Local Motors did not aim to design a car everyone wanted, they aimed to design a car for a specific niche within their community: desert racers. Local Motors CEO, Jay Rogers says, “If you aim to please everyone, you will please no one. With each car Local Motors develops and builds, we aim to satisfy the passions of car enthusiasts in specific regions. By including our community in the development process, we can deliver the car that customers want. The Company is certainly part of the decision making process, but more than anything we are here to listen to desires and make great cars.” The 3,000 community members at Local Motors discussed and voted on body styling, engine choice and even interior design for the Rally Figher. The final result is an intensely capable and head-turning desert racer.

Key Stats:

* Original, welded steel tubular space frame with lightweight thermoplastic and carbon fiber body panels
* BMW M57 clean diesel engine
* Eye-popping 36mpg on the highway, or 30mpg in an off-road setting
* 425 lb-ft of torque, 265 horsepower, and only 3,100 lbs
* 18″ of suspension travel, to take on any desert-jumps and all
* Manually adjustable dual ride-height options, to go from the desert to the city with ease
* Seats for 4 adults, or 2 adults & 3 children

The Rally Fighter will be built in limited production in unique, regional Micro-Factories. The first Micro-Factory will be built in Phoenix, Arizona and will create 50 new, high-paying jobs-great news for our American automotive industry. Local Motors will soon announce cars for several more regions around the United States, and aims to eventually build 25-50 Micro-Factories catering specifically to car enthusiasts in local regions. This local car company is aiming to create 2,500 new automotive jobs nationwide in the next few years. “We are passionate about American automotive. We want to bring the fun and pride back and we will do it one region at a time,” says Rogers. Because they are local, Local Motors is able to offer a unique “Build Experience” with every vehicle purchase. Customers are invited to join experts in the regional Micro-Factory to build their own car. The program is customized for both the novice and the pro, and crafted specifically for car lovers. “Local Motors customers get the whole experience” says Mike Pisani, Vehicle Engineer and Car Builder, “They help design and develop the car they want, then they build it and in the process learn everything they need to know to maintain it. The Rally Fighter is not a disposable appliance, they are limited edition; only 3,000 will every be built. This is a car and an experience you can keep with you for a lifetime.”

You do not have to be a part of the community to buy the Rally Fighter. And if you don’t want to do your own maintenance, the Local Motors Micro-Factory doubles as a service station. Pisani says they plan to go so far as to pick vehicles up from customers’ homes, take them to the Micro-Factory for service, and return them-yet one more element of the innovative Local Motors ownership experience.

In Detail

type	Series Production Car
released at	2009 SEMA Show
body stylist	Sangho Kim
engine	BMW 335d Diesel V6
power	197.60001 kw / 265 bhp @ 4200 rpm
bhp/weight	194.57 bhp per tonne
torque	576.20001 nm / 425 ft lbs @ 1750 rpm
body / frame	Tubular Steel Spaceframe
driven wheels	RWD
wheel type	Aluminum Alloy
front tires	275/70R-17
rear tires	275/70R-17
front brakes	Ventilated Discs w/Twin-Psiton Floating Calipers, ABS
rear brakes	Discs w/Single-Piston Floating Calipers, ABS
front wheels	F 43.200001 x 20.299999 cm / 17 x 8 in
rear wheels	R 43.200001 x 20.299999 cm / 17 x 8 in
f suspension	Double A-Arms w/Detachable Stabilizer Bar, Long Travel Coil-Over-Shocks
r suspension	Solid Axle w/Panhard Rod, Stabilizer Bar, Long Travel Coil-Over-Shocks
curb weight	1362 kg / 3000 lbs
wheelbase	2921 mm / 115 in
front track	1765 mm / 69.5 in
length	4800 mm / 189 in
width	2057 mm / 81 in
height	1759 mm / 69.300003 in
transmission	6-Speed Automatic