Subaru’s performance versions of the Impreza – like the 2015 WRX and 2015 WRX STI – have always been modified and will continue to be taken to new extremes.
Factory Five bit into the four-wheel-drive modifying madness, and cooked up something made for the track. As a kit-building company, Factory Five is sitting down with the big boys and not accepting table scraps from anybody.
The 818 means serious business and will eat monster M3s for lunch … and dinner. The 818 weighs in at – you guessed it – 818 kilograms (1,803 pounds). The tantalizing two-seater will come in dual forms: S and R models. The S model is designed for street use and is priced at $9,990. The S model comes with a very spartan interior, but what more can you expect from a kit car that costs almost $10k?
The R version will come to you at a cost of $25,000. This extra investment will provide you with a tiny windshield and full roll cage. Is it worth the extra dough? Probably not considering most builders could fab up one of their own for far less.
Speaking of building on a budget, the company claims that complete cars are able to be built for around $15k. That price tag factors in the donor Subaru. The neat part about this kit car is that all it needs to do is eat the meat off the bones of a 2002-2007 Impreza or WRX. The car will donate its splendid boxer-four, transmission, brakes, steering, axles and other major components.
The possibilities are endless and Factory Five is fully open to providing extra goodies like upgraded suspension, improved brakes, aerodynamic accessories etc. The 818 doesn’t even need paint because it comes with gel-coated, fiberglass body panels. Who needs a Corvette anyways?
This little Frankenstein monster doesn’t need to ingest any engine upgrades, as it will sit at the supercar table of reaching 0 to 60 in under 4.0 seconds. Factory Five has finally given novice builders something to chew on. The kit is meant to be easy to build and affordable.
No more stripping down Miatas and throwing in V8s. It seems to me that Factory Five has finally overcome the barriers to owning a Crossbow or Caterham, all while providing the same lightweight and visceral experience.
Make sure to watch the video below and find out what the 818 is all about. It looks like driving one will be an experience Ken Block junkies have been dreaming of, only on a track and faster.
I want one.
