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I've been thinking hard on a new kit design project for 2006.
Hopefully it will follow through as a full scale prototype ......
I just have to many ideas going through my head and would like to have your opinions and comments, before I even start on the project.
Here are a few of my ideas:
1)Front wheel drive road/track racer ( a modern Jester or Firefox competitor)
2) A mid-engine Ariel Atom competitor
3) A small SUV
4) A modern Mini Marcos coupe
The price range for the final kit builder would be 3.500 to 5.000 Pounds
Yes I wouls see the price of 5000 Pounds, as a complete kit built by the final builder. I know it's at the lower end of the market but achievable for a single donor kitcar. Just like the above mentioned Jester, Firefox, Firecat and a few others.
I believe there is a niche in this price range, as long as the product is interesting and the design is pleasing.
A small SUV and a small shooting brake are two new concepts that, someone should take into consideration in the kit industry.
A modern Reliant Shimitar on Fiesta mechanicals or other.....cheaper to manufacture and build.
1)Front wheel drive road/track racer (a modern Jester or Firefox competitor)
The only design I feel is possible within your budget, maybe even retaining the underpinnings of the donor car a la Paul Banham
2) A mid-engine Ariel Atom competitor
Atom's are in the £20K plus area, fully built and are a very straight forward build up so the assembly cost is a small percentage of the price. You are not realistically going to compete with a product such as the Atom on 25% of the cost
3) A small SUV
Dont even bother - from my experience if a buyer can obtain a car that suits it requirement from a mainstream manufacturer, fully built, they will.
4) A modern Mini Marcos coupe
See 3
5) A modern Mid engine GTM Coupe/K3 competitor
See 4, & 3. And a bit of 2 (how successful has the K3 been recently?)
6) a Threewheeler
Possible - would be different, depends on design
Sorry to pee on your bonfire (English phrase....) of various ideas but from my (expensive) experience if you try to compete with designs which can be compared to mainstream manufacturers vehicles, you will fail.
Also you do not appear to have allowed for development costs against some idea of production numbers?
I like your feedback and I pretty much agree with all of it.
I was not taking into consideration development costs but, I believe for a front Wheel drive track racer maybe 10 to 15 000 Pounds should do it in Italy. Maybe!!!
I found this very interesting site of a complete Firefox build and the real cost for the build
Here is the other bench mark car i was thinking of for my design: The Firefly.
The build prices are very competitive, and can find so many tarted up Pandas at my local wrecker!! Should really consider the Fiat engine option.
I actually think the Atom competitor could easily work.
All you need is a chassis . . .
Use a Honda donor and you get a decent engine etc.
Indeed. kartman's comment on the Atom's £20,000 cost doesn't mention that it uses all new parts. There are quite a number of other bike-engined-car kits about and I'm sure the build of few comes to £20k - take a look at http://locostbuilders.co.uk/ for examples. The Atom is much better looking than many of the BEC kits I've seen, tho', and a home-build alternative to it would be very attractive.
I'm no designer.
(Pause for laughter)
But I know what I like and the Pimlico Domino always appealed to me. A classic shape and (relatively) bulletproof mechanicals. An easy(!) build and you end up with a pretty cool convertible.
Surely (ignoring these metal roofed CC things) convertibles sell, but allied to a classic shape.....a winner!!
Trouble as I see it though is that at the end of the day it's a mini so why not just customise the real thing, I'm guessing that was it's undoing and why it's not stayed as a mainstream kit.
Much as I love my 'K' I think Rover is unwise at the moment.
I actually quite like what Ford are up to and their little 1.6, Sigma I think they call it, looks like a nice little thing. I don't know what cars it comes in though.....
I think the small modern engines would work well in this sort of car but 1. it would bump up the cost considerably and 2. People in general like cubes, the more the merrier so I would guess people would be looking at zetec/duratec power in something like this.
The smaller engine would be ideal for the younger kit car enthusiast though for insurance purposes.
What are the cheapest FWD. engines available in the used car market?
any ideas, my guess would be Ford and Vauxhall, Rover., do you have other options?
My other idea was to update the design of a Porsche 356 speedster replica.
I'll show some of my renderings , so that I can and get your feedback on this new design.
