Local Motors “Rally Fighter”: Designed with the Help of Online Enthusiasts

A Massachusetts-based car company called “Local Motors” has released sketches of the first vehicle it plans to build. The Rally Fighter was designed by Sangho Kim with the help of LM’s online design community. Sangho, who earned a $10,000 prize for his design, will see the crossover-coupe being built in the very near future. While Local Motors has yet to announce the location of the first local micro-factory facility where the Fighter will be produced, the prototype version of the crossover-coupe will be developed at LM’s headquarters in Massachusetts.

LM plans to build a series of vehicles in micro-scale at small assembly plants around the U.S. Like the “Rally Fighter”, these cars will be penned by designers who will be competing against each other online. The winning designs will then find their way into production. The idea of designing a car this way definitely sounds attention-grabbing and it could produce interesting results, but as we all know, styling is just one factor in the equation. So until LM releases specific technical and production details on the Rally Fighter or any other concepts it plans to build in the future, we’re obliged to remain skeptical. –High resolution images after the jump

PRESS RELEASE

Local Motors Announces First Car to be Built with Community Support

Sangho Kim’s Rally Fighter will be the first Local Motors Design Concept to be taken from sketch to reality. Multiple factors influenced the decision to build Sangho’s design. Community support, focus on car enthusiasts, timeliness and community collaboration are key.

Local Motors will build the Rally Fighter with the participation of the entire Local Motors Community of designers and car enthusiasts, who were the largest consideration in this decision. Ben Messmer, Lead Designer at Local Motors explains the value in Community Design Process, “This design has aroused incredible feedback and collaboration from the Community. By promoting discussion and collaboration early on, we are able to design cars we know people want; there is no guessing.” Everyone is welcome to collaborate and give feedback since the Rally Fighter is currently in “Process”. Kim’s Rally Fighter represents an industry first as the premier car to be designed and built for car enthusiasts in open non-private development.

Local Motors is a new American car company focused on building cars for the most influential market, car enthusiasts. The Rally Fighter will fulfill the desires of these selective drivers:

1. American Authenticity: Local Motors will hold true to the influences of traditional American car design: hotrods, trucks, and aerospace are among the inspiration to build a legion of new and exciting cars for enthusiasts. The Rally Fighter reflects the heroism of American aerospace design and is inspired by the long, powerful lines of Classic Warbirds.

Each Local Motors car will be uniquely American since each is designed and built to suit a local region. The Rally Fighter design is suited to several local geographic areas, from the Baja landscape of Southern California to the hills of Texas and the Back Country of North Carolina. Local Motors has yet to announce the location of the first local micro-factory facility where the Off-Road Rally Fighter will be built. The prototype will be built at Local Motors headquarters.

2. Mechanicals Showing: Die-hard car enthusiasts are turned on by the site of a beautiful automobile; especially if the mechanicals are showing. Styling cues like exposed wheels or exhaust, or exposed panels on frames are details that can take a design from like to lust. The aerospace influence of the Rally Fighter is tailored for features like raw panels you see on old Warbirds.

3. Presence of Excellence: Local Motors’ consistent Presence of Excellence will be head turning, heart pounding car design. What Local Motors will do well with design and execution will be simple but effective. This company cannot and does not intend to compete with other industry products that distinguish themselves on the absence of defects. No matter the price point, no matter the limitations, the absence of defects without the Presence of Excellence is still falling short. In this case, the Presence of Excellence is a must-have design, where we will accept being bested on life cycle testing for door handle reliability (e.g.) in order to focus on a product whose look and feel you cannot live without.

4. Playing (vs. Posing): Car enthusiasts want a vehicle to do what is advertised or implied. A true rally car must be able to jump, and a hotrod had better be able to burn rubber. Anything less is just posing; Local Motors Rally Fighter is ready to play.

This Rally Fighter fits the bill of Local Motors’ and car enthusiasts’ expectations, and we believe Sangho has presented it at the perfect time since OEMs are no longer focusing on large vehicles. As the majors change their product mix away from larger vehicles to achieve overall corporate gains in fuel efficiency, they are creating opportunities to provide larger lighter-weight cars to the American consumer. “We believe there is a way to make a bigger, safer vehicle which is lightweight and super efficient. With the guidance of our community, we not only think but we know there is demand for such a vehicle. Sangho’s Rally Fighter is the clear standout in this category and we are proud to make this design our premier,” says Local Motors CEO, Jay Rogers.

Sangho Kim’s winning creation has spent weeks in the Design Process section refining its unique off-road rally characteristics with the help of the Community. This section is a development hub for the most promising Local Motors designs and is invite-only. In this designated area, designers can work directly with the LM Design Team while collaborating with one another. After weeks in Process with the LM Design Team and Community, the Rally Fighter is an eye-catching rendition of aeronautical inspiration in a high-waisted coupe style vehicle.

Kim’s community participation made him an easy choice; not only can he design, but he has excellent communication skills and is able rapidly to iterate his design based on community feedback. Recently, this same skill set helped him win the Miami Road Racer Competition. Now Sangho Kim has taken the opportunity to see his idea come to life, the dream of every car designer. In addition to this awesome experience, Sangho earned $10,000USD. The team at Local Motors will carry out Sangho’s vision and ensure his name will forever be associated with his design. He is only the first of many designers to be conferred with such an honor, and we so Local Motors looks forward to more to come in the future. In addition to Kim, there are already three winning designers and several runner-up finishers who have risen to the top of the community in Local Motors competitions. These other designers’ individual achievements represent the depth of this community.

Local Motors revolutionary but simple process values the desires of community; the community is also the customer.

Link: Local Motors