Kits cars are not-so-well recognized around the world. This is because most of them are often depicted as cheap rip-offs of hypercars. But there are a few manufacturers who have done their homework and are adamant about providing people with cheaper alternatives to otherwise insane hypercars and supercars.

Factory Five happens to be one of them and makes much more than wanna-be supercars and attention seekers. They comprise of a bunch of like-minded people who go the extra mile to make the supercar-experience accessible for everyone. They make a bunch of different cars ranging from compact roadsters, to hotrods and even completely tricked out racecars. But they have a particular sports coupe in the portfolio that brings in the best of both road and track.

The Factory Five GTM is a supercar built from the ground up and shares a lot of its components with General Motors. In fact, most of its components are shared with the C5 Corvette and Corvette Z06 from the years: 1997-2004. The only part taken off a different car is its transaxle and is a Porsche 911 derivative. This is one of the rarer kit-cars that has been built as a chassis kit but comes with the added benefits of a comfortable cabin complete with infotainment and even an air-con system.

Factory Five GTM (Grand Touring Mid-engine) is a kit-car that packs a 400hp Corvette engine and can do 0-60 mph in just 3.2 seconds. It is the cheapest and most customizable supercar experience you can get.

Pricing And Kit Components

Factory Five Racing GTM front third quarter view
Via: Carscoops.com

Factory Five sells the GTM Supercar kit for $24,990 which is quite impressive for a proposition of this caliber. But the catch here is that it consists of all the components required except the powertrain. As they give customers the liberty to choose between various Vette engines used in the C5 Corvette from the late 90s and early 20s, there are a lot of options to get hold of one. You can either get one new from Chevrolet Performance or salvage one out of the junkyard or accident cars.

This flexibility allows the customer to act as per his budget and build a pocket-friendly supercar. But Factory Five would be more than happy to hook you up with a new powertrain setup. They even have collaborations with BluePrint Engines that make both small and big blocks. The whole build including the engine will easily breach the $50k mark. However, for the base price of under $25K, you get:

  • Mild-carbon steel frame with a 6-point roll cage construction
  • Hand laid 3/16-inch laminate composite body panels made with vinylester resin and black gel coat
  • Chassis panels made of aluminum for the firewall, bulkhead, and radiator casing
  • KONI shocks and coil-over kits coupled to Corvette upper and lower arms in the front and rear
  • Steering and transmission kits adopted from either Porsche or Mendeola Gearboxes
  • Wilwood clutch and brake pedal assembly
  • The cooling system from GM
  • Custom intake systems and full-exhaust system from C5 Corvettes

This summarises the kit components you get in the GTM kit-supercar. A more detailed insight on individual components is listed on their website. Check it out here.

Related: 10 Coolest Supercars You Can Buy For $50,000 In 2020

Donor Engine And Performance Figures

Factory Five Racing GTM engine bay view
Via: Carscoops.com

Factory Five builds its mid-engine frame for it to be a perfect fit for Vette engines from the early 2000s. It currently can use the LS1, LS6, and even LS2 engines as they fit perfectly into the engine bay, complete with the mounts and bushes. The power figures range from 350-400 hp in stock form and can even be tuned up to easily provide close to 700 horses. But as most people opting in for this car would be a tighter budget, they mostly stick to stock performance.

And by stock, don't dull down as the lighter chassis and composite body helps it cut the weight down to just 2,250 pounds, in its fully built state. This allows the Factory Five GTM to do 0-60 mph in just 3.2 seconds and has a top speed of 180 mph with the 5-Speed Manual and 200 mph with a 6-Speed Manual.

Handling And Driving Dynamics

Factory Five Racing GTM track build front third quarter view
Via: Rcnmag.com

The low-slung design language helps the GTM glued to the road, thanks to the clever placement of the engine for a lower center of gravity. It uses a double-wishbone suspension setup straight from the Vette coupled to fully adjustable KONI shocks and Coilover kits that allow you to stiffen or soften the layout as per requirements. Mid-engine layouts are the gold-standard for spirited driving experience and the GTM nails it. Factory Five also gained access to a wind tunnel at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia that helped them sort out the GTM's aerodynamics.

Related: These 10 Supercars Are Beyond Weird

A Practical Interior For this DIY Supercar

Factory Five Racing GTM interior view
Via: Carscoops.com

The interior of this kit-car is surprisingly luxurious for the price-point as it comes wrapped in leather and suede upholstery. It gets a handy 13-inch steering wheel that is wrapped in leather along with an Auto Meter digital instrument cluster. It gets power windows as standard and also has pre-fitted carpet flooring. Air conditioning is optional though as it adds considerable heft to this light car. Even an infotainment system with door-mounted speakers is optional and customers can choose from various options on the tab.

Exterior Is Clean And Looks Straight Out Of A Video Game

Factory Five Racing GTM rear third quarter view
Via: Carscoops.com

Clearly, the Factory Five GTM has taken a lot of its inspiration from the Corvettes and extensively from Ford GT which is evident from the front and side profiles. But they managed to make it a unique proposition. It comes with a fixed rear wing and dual-exit exhaust system that sounds exquisite for an under $50,000 supercar. The wind-tunnel days have surely helped them churn out some sleek design cues with aerodynamics in mind.

The Factory Five GTM is a compelling kit-supercar that provides us with accessible supercar performance and impressive customization options.

Sources: Factoryfive.com, Hotrod.com, Carscoops.com, Rcnmag.com, Motorauthority.com

Next: Here’s Why The De Tomaso P72 Is Special