Factory Five F9R, a spectacular track-only "kit car" with a monstrous 765 hp V12

You may not be too familiar with it, but in the town of Wareham, in the state of Massachusetts, there is a manufacturer that we could consider artisanal: Factory Five specialises in making very high-quality, detailed replicas such as the models based on the AC Cobra, although they also build “kit cars” such as their GTM and 818 models.

These “kit cars” allow us, from among the parts the different manufacturers work with, to practically have our own vehicle built and assembled to our liking with the pieces that interest us most, thus owning the car of our dreams. Factory Five’s catalogue of “kit cars” is very close to being expanded, as the American manufacturer has released details of the platform it is working on, which may be close to coming to light.

Factory Five’s next creation will be a high-flying supercar, designed to put a grin from ear to ear every time we take it onto the track, which will be its natural habitat. It seems it will be called F9R, and it was seen just a few days ago at the SEMA Show, the Las Vegas trade fair devoted to performance modifications and tuning, but it only showed its innards, revealing to those present its tubular chassis with the engine mounted at the front.

The engine will be another area where the Factory Five F9R stands out: it uses an LS3 engine from the Australian company Race Cast, which will then be modified to produce a V12 displacing no less than 9,500 cc, capable of delivering 765 hp and a maximum torque of 930 Nm. The company has not yet revealed concrete data about the F9R, but the figures promise to be breathtaking, although for those who want less power the company will have other engines from Ford and Chevrolet available to its customers.

Whichever engine the customer ultimately chooses, the Factory Five F9R will have an imposing, carefully crafted look, as you can see in the images accompanying this article. Its bodywork will be made entirely of carbon fibre, with some parts left exposed, such as the main aerodynamic elements together with the huge rear wing, which can also be fitted, or the elaborate rear diffuser, which also houses the four exhaust outlets located in the central area.

The year 2020 will be crucial for the Factory Five F9R project to move forward, as that is when testing will begin on the first prototype, and also when the company will decide whether, after the whole project, there is ultimately sufficient viability and interest to start production, and, naturally, whether costs can be kept in check so that it can be sold at a reasonable price. If all the pieces of the puzzle fit together, Factory Five would begin production of the F9R at the end of 2020 or, at the latest, in the first quarter of 2021.