Factory Fives LS V-12–Powered Supercar Looks Menacing

Factory Fives LS V-12–Powered Supercar Looks Menacing

This article, originally published on October 25, 2019, has been updated with more pictures and info regarding Factory Five's new supercar.

Factory Five Racing, the Massachusetts-based kit car company famous for its replica Shelby Cobras and mid-engine 818, is planning a new supercar for its lineup. Introduced at SEMA earlier this year, it uses a front-engine design packing a gargantuan 9.5-liter LS3-based V-12 engine.

In a Facebook Live video published in October, the Factory Five team outlined its plans to replace its mid-engine GTM supercar, first unveiled in the mid-2000s. Unlike the GTM, this new car will have its engine in the front, and sport a fully carbon-fiber body. The chassis itself is a stretched and widened version of the frame used to build the company's Shelby Daytona coupe kit car.

The engine is supplied by V12 LS, an Australian company that specializes in casting V-12 blocks based on General Motors V-8 architecture, using LS7-type heads. It makes 750 horsepower and 775 lb-ft of torque, can rev past 6000 rpm, and sounds wonderful.

Other parts on the car include a Wilwood brake system, Sparco Seats, and Koni adjustable suspension. Factory Five revealed two renderings in December of the finalized body (shown below), designed by Jim Schenck and Phil Frank. The company says the panels will be made of a carbon-fiber composite.

Factory Five expects to have a completed body by the end of the first quarter of 2020, and a running prototype by spring. It'll conduct testing into summer before proceeding further. We can't wait to see more.

Source:caranddriver.com