Wannabe automaker Local Motors will be taking the wraps off its first completed product, the internet-community designed and BMW turbodiesel-powered, Rally Fighter, at the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. We first heard of the Massachusetts-based company that's lead by retired U.S. Marine Jay Rogers whose grandfather owned the Indian motorcycle company, in the summer of 2008. To put it briefly, the company plans to use the designs of an internet community and micro factories around the country to build region specific vehicles.
The Rally Fighter is a baja-style crossover penned by Sangho Kim with the help of the firm's online design community. Local Motors says that the two-door vehicle's chassis and various parts connecting with OEM-sourced components are made in-house.
One of the most interesting aspects about the Rally Fighter is its 3.0 liter twin-turbo diesel from the BMW 335d. The inline-six cranks out 265 ponies and an even more impressive 425 pound-feet of torque at just 1,750 rpm that are channeled to the rear wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission.
According to the company, the street-legal Rally Fighter that weighs in somewhere between 3,000 and 3,200 lbs (1,360 - 1450 kg), returns 36mpg on the highway and 30mpg in an off-road setting.
The cost of the Rally Fighter is estimated to be around $50,000 USD, with Local Motors claiming that it has already secured 22 orders for the vehicle. More to come at the SEMA Show next week.
Link: Local Motors
Local Motors Rally Fighter Specifications:
Drivetrain
- BMW 335d
- 3.0 Liter, Turbocharged Inline 6-Cylinder Engine
- 6 speed automatic transmission
- 265 Horsepower @ 4200rpm
- 425 lbft @1750 RPM
- Rear Wheel Drive
- Clean Diesel
Exterior
- Overall Length: 189 inches (4800mm)
- Dual Ride Height (Manual Capability)
- Overall Height:
- 69.25 inches (1759mm) High ride height
- 61.25 inches (1556mm) Low ride height
- 69.25 inches (1759mm) High ride height
- Overall Width: 80 inches (2057mm)
- Wheelbase: 115 inches (2921mm)
- Track Width: 69.5 inches (1765mm)
- Curb Weight: 3,000-3,200 lbs.
Chassis
- Construction-Tubular steel space frame
- Front Suspension:
- 18" Travel, independent double A-arm
- with detachable stabilizer bar
- Spring System-Long travel coil-over shock absorbers
- 18" Travel, independent double A-arm
- Rear Suspension:
- 20" Travel, 3-Link Solid axle with Panhard
- and stabilizer bars
- 20" Travel, 3-Link Solid axle with Panhard
- Lug Pattern-6 x 135mm
- Steering TypePower assisted rack and pinion
Brakes, Wheels, Tires
- 4-Wheel Anti-lock disc brakes.
- Front: 13" ventilated - dual-piston floating
- Rear: 13.7" ventilated - single-piston floating
- Emergency brake: Rear drum in rotor
- Wheels: 17"x8" aluminum alloy
- Tires:
- 275/70R-17(High ride height)
- 265/50R-20(Low ride height)
- 275/70R-17(High ride height)
