2010 Local Motors Rally Fighter

(from Local Motors Press Release)  Local Motors Premiers the Rally Fighter Off-Road Desert Racer at SEMA

The Off-Road Racer designed for car enthusiasts, by car enthusiasts is debuted at the biggest industry event of the year at SEMA, in the 'Making Green Cool Zone'

It's one of the most exciting cars to hit the road in ages. Aggressive, sleek and inspired by old War Birds, the Local Motors Rally Fighter has the heritage of legacy with fresh appeal.

The story of this vehicle is in its revolutionary yet simple development process - it was designed and developed by a community of car enthusiasts. New American car company Local Motors invites anyone with a passion for cars to collaborate in an open design process to help choose and shape the look of each Local Motors vehicle. Now home to over 4,000 car designers, engineers and enthusiasts, the Local Motors community is the largest of its kind - and the only to bring a new car to market.

The Rally Fighter is a premium, authentic off-of-road experience, custom designed and built for the deserts of the American Southwest. It was designed by community member Sangho Kim while many Local Motors' members participated in the open development process. Together with the company they helped collaborate on body design details, side vent creation, interior and even accessory design.

Undiluted design, power and efficiency is the result. The Rally Fighter is powered by a 3.0 liter twin-turbo clean diesel sporting 265 ponies and a striking 425 pound-feet of torque at only 1750rpm that are directed to the rear wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission. It is built to suit several different efficient engines, and so far the customers prefer clean diesel. The Rally Fighter is lightweight at only 3,200 pounds which allows for exceptional performance and efficiency.

Build process and end product are so efficient the car is debuting in SEMA sponsored 'Making Green Cool Zone'.� At 30-36mpg, the Rally Fighter is competing for most efficient in its desert off-road class. In addition, Local Motors utilizes a sustainable build methodology and builds cars 'Just-In-Time'. This process creates little or no waste, and allows customers to actually participate in the build process of their own Rally Fighter. Local Motors builds cars with customers in regional Micro-Factories which double as service stations. The first Micro-Factory is in Wareham, Massachusetts, and the second will be built in Phoenix, Arizona in 2010. Local Motors plans for 50 Micro-Factories around the country.

This enthusiast experience continues as Local Motors allows customers to host 'Custom Car Skins' Competitions on local-motors.com. Local Motors designers compete to create custom graphics to for Rally Fighter owners based on desired specifications- every outcome is unique. The graphics are applied with vinyl, not paint, which is lightweight, customizable, and recyclable.

Local Motors is introducing a heart-pounding new vehicle for enthusiasts, and with it, a new automotive experience. Participate in the car design process; build the car you want; choose a custom car skin. It's all part of the new, sustainable Local Motors experience.

Rally Fighters are now available for reservation: http://www.local-motors.com/rf

Early builds will begin this Summer, 6/8/10.

Rally Fighter Key Stats:
Designed by community member Sangho Kim of Pasadena, California
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

About Local Motors

Local Motors is a new American car company setting an exciting and sustainable course to design, manufacture, and sell cars.

Revolutionary yet simple, Local Motors creates a direct connection with customers who guide design development based on personal desires. The outcome of this open, collaborative process is meaningful, exciting cars designed specifically for car enthusiasts in local areas. Local Motors will build micro-factories in regions where demand is highest and cars are built and sold from the micro-factories on a just-in-time basis. Both the products and process are sustainable. Local Motors vehicles feature best in class fuel efficiency while the development and manufacturing process dramatically reduces waste while maintaining the flexibility to incorporate new efficient technology as it emerges. The design, manufacturing, and sales processes are sustainable and agile while creating a direct physical connection with more fully satisfied customers in each region.

The first Local Motors design concept to be designed by a community of enthusiasts and talented designers world-wide, is the Rally Fighter by Sangho Kim. You can view the Rally Fighter and contribute to the design development at www.local-motors.com