The Local Motors Rally Fighter Is a Ridiculous Off-Road Sports Car
Вставка
- Опубліковано 11 лют 2025
- CHECK OUT THIS RALLY FIGHTER ON CARS & BIDS!
carsandbids.co...
Rally Fighter review! Today I'm reviewing the Local Motors Rally Fighter, which is a truly ridiculous off-road sports car. This is a special and bizarre vehicle, and I'm going to show you all the quirks and features of this Rally Fighter. I'm also going to drive the Rally Fighter and review the driving experience from behind the wheel.
WEBSITE & MERCH!
www.dougdemuro.com
FOLLOW ME!
Twitter - / dougdemuro
Instagram - / dougdemuro
Facebook - / ddemuro
DOUGSCORE CHART:
www.dougdemuro...
I am the owner of the first Rally Fighter made, the Beta, pre-production car with the BMW M57 turbo diesel. I was the 11th hired person at Local Motors and was part of every production Rally Fighter ever made; I designed many parts for the cars. When I was an intern and later mechanical engineer I always obsessed with the turbo diesel Beta car. I kept the car running, insured and registered when I was employed there and the CEO later sold the car to me years after my departure.
Very cool and thanks for your contributions to the project? What sort of design did you do for this car? Body/interior, suspension etc?
Cool story bro. Here's a cookie 🍪
That's pretty cool ngl
At first, I made the adapters to fit the Challenger mirrors onto the body and many odds and ends relating to body closure systems. Later, I designed the full vehicle wiring schematic and sourced a system so we could calibrate the speedometer for different axle/transmission ratios and configurations. I also developed a fix for the rear braking system, rear upper control arm captures and helped with high horsepower axle builds. However I was was involved with hundreds of other aspects of the vehicle from liquid tanks to door pull handles.
The engineer that modeled the front suspension later became the Lead Engineer at Robby Gordon Motorsports where he helped to lead Wildcat XX development. The fabricator that developed and modeled the rear suspension builds cranberry picking machines and does design work for Factory Five Racing. I led the sourcing, design and implementation of Local Motors first electric drive train (with our online community) which was first used in a Rally Fighter and later 3D printed car. Eventually Local Motors went on to just sell electric vehicles.
I built a crazy 6X6 motorhome in Local Motors parking lot, took off and went on to work at two different EV truck startups as employee #6 and #51, both went IPO. I helped design and manufacture large truck EV drive trains and such that are in some form of production today.
@@startupslick dope dude. It’d be cool to see you run through this. Also you know the seller of this one too?
As a former employee myself, seeing Doug’s joy is bittersweet. We all knew we had something special, but we just couldn’t get the business model going.
I’m sorry. It’s cool as hell! The redneck in me would sell my soul for a 4x4 model.
Hey Giovanni - We all had that giggle! Thanks for being a part of all the laughs!
Hello I have a question, does all rally fighter have 2 keys? One for the engine and one for the door ? Because that isn't very practical...
@@LAdmin_-lk7nk half of the cars before the 90s had 2 keys, 😂 for a 2 door prerunner I’d say having 2 keys is the least of the impracticalities
@samsanders7257 there are no models with one key?
That red interior light is meant to use when driving on dark.
You can use it also when driving because it doesn't disturb, reflect or blind you on dark.
Lots of semi-trucks have also red, green or blue interior "night-lights"
Red interior lights are pretty common in police cars too
@Monsieur Hill and it sucks cuz of all the see up a mosquitos ass 10 miles down the road LEDs
Hence the traditional red instrument and controls lighting in BMW and SAAB interiors, both companies that liked to claim aviation heritage.
Naval ships use red lighting at night for all passages that open to the outside when underway. It preserves the night vision of all those in the crew engaged in navigation.
Quite common in nighttime boating as well.
local motors not only was a company that made cool cars, but it was a great community full of amazing engineers and designers. i was one of the earliest members of the community and all of us contributed to the development of the rally fighter and several other projects that ran while the company was running. it was and still is one of the best closely knit communities of designers and engineers you will see with a common passion and a great team spirit! so happy that the Rally Fighter is featured here! 😀
I was into automotive design at the time... just an amateur but once I saw the rally fighter IRL I was pretty upset that I didn't participate LOL
yeah sure bud
You know @startupslick?
Thank you for helping build one of the most America vehicles ever built.
As the first Private (non corporate) owner of a Rally Fighter that daily drove it & also the only one that’s driven across the country and back (without cruise control) I can easily say there is no other vehicle that’ll put a smile on your face absolutely every time you drive it.
I did find it difficult to watch this video after my RF was taken from me by a person driving on the wrong side of the road ending in a head collision.
I want my car back.
This broke my heart. I've been trying to get a rally fighter for about 5 years now and haven't been able to secure one yet. I lost a nice super low mileage 370z in a fire a few years back, but it's much much more easy to replace than an RF. ;_;
@@Hyptosis Ae you still looking to get one?
@@NvTwist I'm always interested in obtaining one, but I would certainly have to get a used one. That one that sold for $120 the other day scared me lol. I bid on one in Texas a year or two ago I think for 45,000 but got outbid. And I saw one recently sold I think in Vegas for $50,000? Those are much closer to what I could afford lol.
@@Hyptosis I’ll make a call or two after the 4th holiday and see if I can help ya out.
@@NvTwist dude thanks! I've had really bad luck trying to land one because whenever I'm liquid I don't see any for sale for 2 years, then when one is for sale it's right after I bought something big or had a big medical expense. Take care and have a good holiday!
I worked for Local Motors and built quite a few. They would let us borrow the sales demo unit. Driving around town felt like a rockstar. People driving alongside amd trying to get pictures. Always had to allow extra time whenever you stop somewhere as people had a bunch of questions.
I miss that car. Wish I could afford one.
That awesome beast looks like it drove straight out of the MAD MAX apocalypse films!
@@chrismayer3919 wish they add this car on GT7.
I used to work for a dealer in NC that purchased a few of these and assembled them in house to sell. I got to drive them all over to shows and events. Out of all the cars I've had the privilege of driving, these are my favorite. We even custom fitted one with a five speed manual and side exhausts. Nothing even comes close.
Hello I have a question, does all rally fighter have 2 keys? One for the engine and one for the door ? Because that isn't very practical...
At 13:13, the red light is most likely to preserve night vision. If you’re driving at night and your eyes adjust to the darkness red light helps you keep that “night vision”.
It’s basically a standard in marine industry, most yachts, ships, etc have red lights in the wheelhouse.
Perhaps, they thought if this car would be participating in some sort of “The Dakar Rally” type of race, and alongside the drive would be sitting his navigator, it would be helpful for him to look at the notes or a map in a red light and not lose his night vision.
You can actually check out the difference for yourself (instruction for Apple devices): go to Settings - Accessibility - Display - Color Filters. Enable red filter, and check out in the night just how much better your eyes will adjust between looking at the screen of the phone and then looking into the darkness, and how less stressful it would feel to look at that screen.
Right on. Thanks for agreeing with me! 🙂
thats what bmw and mercedes also figured, therefore their dash and interior lights were orange
Damn, I might just have to get some red LED interior lights for my own vehicle, it would be fantastic not losing night vision when using the map lights
That is why red lights are used in the military. Preserves night vision while trying to read a map.
You’ll also see this in so called “ticket lights” in many police cars.
13:14, the red interior light is to keep your night vision at night instead of white light, its used in police cars often
Thank you, was hoping someone would point this out. Surprised Doug didnt know it
Lots of people who go stargazing use red lights as well. Grew up with my dad's trucks always having red internal lights only.
I’ve installed them in my Audi cause they’re just cool too. And yeah bonus they don’t blind you at night
Thanks for the obvious Mr Twit.
Yup. Though, the transit buses I drive have teal/sea blue lighting and preferably so
It's honestly amazing how this is put together. They made so many great, common sense decisions when designing what appears to be an insane car.
bro its literally trash and they went out of business cuz of it
It appears to be insane, but given that it’s made entirely of modern, off the shelf parts, albeit from a range of different brands,it might be reliable, and it should not be hard to maintain. I’m surprised they couldn’t make money on it. It really is like a V8 dune buggy, but with all the creature comforts of a street car. Maybe it was just too strange-looking to convince enough buyers?
Boy does THIS take me back! I was actually fortunate enough to win one of the skin design contests and got to see it "in the flesh" at SEMA back in 2010! It was Rally Fighter #0008 if I'm not mistaken. I was sad to see the company went away this past January, but seeing these beasts and experiencing SEMA for the first time will absolutely stick with me forever!
They went out of business for a reason. The car is trash. Everyone in this thread worked on it and have themselves to thank for its demise. Whoever put that thing together has 1 working eyeball.
@@g0tsp33d Wait, wait, wait. Did you seriously take the time to copy and paste this SAME reply to multiple people? 😂
@@DwightBynumJr hyuk hyuk damn dwight this takes me back guh guh duhhhh
@@DwightBynumJr your skins are trash
You can't tell me that's not a Coil Brawler.
It's cuz it is! Awesome
i was about to say the same in colour yellow
It is lol.
not electric
@@Gankzillorated the brawler isn’t electric
Rivian should make something like this for their "Sports car". I always loved the Rally Fighter and I think this type of design would make a bunch of sense for Rivian.
Are u the really asimo huh cool I found big time developer on normally video
@@syn199 you ok?
@asimo3089 You should add this to jailbreak
Seems like Rivan's modular platform would be ideal for that.
Looks like a shit version of the Ferrari Purosangue lol. Or Madmax version lmao
The movie “Transformers: Age of Extinction” introduced me to this vehicle, and it has become one of my favourites as a result. It makes me happy to see you review this one. Thanks Doug!
I thought it looked familiar
CSR2 introduced me to this car 😅
It also appeared in Fast&Furious 8
Dough DeMuro is a great baker
Grand Theft Auto 5 introduced me this car in yellow paint.
13:16 The red light is for use at night. Due to how the rods (night vision receptors) in your eyes work, your night vision is much less affected by red light than shorter wavelengths. So, you can use the red light in the cabin while retaining most of your night vision.
I actually made something similar to this in Forza Horizon 4. I put a rally suspension on a Camaro and lifted it as far as I could. It was a pretty cool rally car.
Rally Fighter was an incredible experiment into what crowd-source engineering could produce. I was lucky enough to ride in one a few times as a friend of mine was an engineer for them, incredible feeling getting onto the 202 South onramp flooring it all the way. Local Motors was always a place that local car and engineering enthusiasts were welcome. During their open houses you could tour RF's being built and even get under the fiberglass shell and pick it up to get a sense for the weight. Awesome Arizona business trailblazing the way!
and it rightly failed
We had a Local Motors in my hometown of Knoxville. Sadly it went out of business. Some of these Rally fighters were built in that factory. They had the largest 3 D printer in the US which provided a lot of the parts for this vehicle. They also tested and built the now defunct Ollie autonomous electric bus there. When they had their liquidation sale, I was able to buy a lot of electronic equipment from them.
Sad to hear they went out of business. I always thought it was really cool that Knoxville had a company that did this kind of thing. I bet you were able to buy a lot of cool stuff during the liquidation sale.
Their
@@williamwilson3702 Always sad when a seemingly thriving business like that folds. The building that housed it was enormous and special built for them. I bought some wilwood disc brakes that would’ve normally been fitted on the Rally Fighter as well as some diagnostic equipment (oscilloscope, voltage testers, etc). The 3 D printer was sold as well and had to be loaded onto a flatbed semi with a crane. 🤣
@@Cloud007. iPhone autocorrect but thanks for your attention to detail.
They also had a location just outside DC. I was talking with them about doing some 3d modeling work for them a couple years back - The big 3d printer at that location was about the size of my kitchen at the time, heh - we even had a meeting inside the Ollie bus! I never did any work for LM itself, but did some modeling and rendering for a different project outside of LM, spearheaded by one of the people I'd met with. Good times. They also had a couple small roadsters in there with 3d-printed body parts and bulkheads, and a full 1:1 3d-print of a supercar out front, much more Lambo or McLaren than Rally Fighter. Wish they'd have caught on more in the segments they were digging into.
5:54 right on doug. Those are actually aftermarket tail lights that were made for the 8th gen Civic coupe, but I’ve seen some Rally Fighter’s with standard OEM Civic tail lights too
I've met this car at Forza Horizon. And I have to say, this car is really interesting, mainly for it's purpose. A RWD Off-Road Sports Car? This is really unusual and cool. Loved it!
@P¡nned by Doug DeMuro Z
Yh it’s good for racing
Same. I instantly recognized it from originally playing FH4. I don't know why, but I never actually expected it was a real vehicle. Really surprised me to see it pop up on here. Super cool.
Considering we're getting offroad supercars coming out, it was ahead of its time.
Bit weird that it’s a 3 speed but it’s still a fun car.
It is so fun to see the pure joy on Doug's face as he opens it up. A true look of someone achieving a bucket list item.
I worked at a garage in Lewisville TX a few years ago and our lead mechanic drove one of these for awhile. That car is truly insane and very cool!
That's the closest "1:1 RC car"-looking vehicule I've seen. I like how it looks!
Of course! Now you say it it's obvious to me. It's a full sized RC car!
When I look at it I get a sort of familiar feeling about the design, even though it's so unique, and it must be because it looks sort-of like an RC car.
All the coolest RC cars are based on rally cars and trophy trucks, which is almost exactly what that thing is. Still very cool. Someone should make a rally fighter body to stick on a traxxas car.
I remember seeing Tanner Foust driving this car on Top Gear many years ago. Still to this
day, I think this is one of the coolest vehicles ever made.
Exactly, good times
Dweeb.
I’m SO HAPPY you reviewed this. I feel like these were super underrated and super cool and they’ve been in video games and ignored for other vehicles forever, BUT THESE ARE SO COOL!!!
I first saw this in Transformers Age of Extinction in the rally car chase. I thought these were the coolest thing ever when i was little.
I've actually had the honor of seeing one in person at the Perot Museum in Dallas. Absolutely spectacular car that you have to see to believe. Having played with it in Forza it just doesn't feel real! Incredible machine!
Is it a permanent installation?
@@MultiDemension Good question. It's been a while. It seemed to be pretty permanent looking so it's worth a shot.
THE HONOR???? you people are insane
@@g0tsp33d what did this car do to you lmao
@@AnthonyHoul they made it a pile of expensive crap
I do love Doug managing to introduce me to Cars and Car Brands i never heard of. Usually from North America, so makes sense for me as a European to not heard of many.
Also can't wait what else is lined up for Dougcember. I've seen the Maserati MC12 previewed, but can't wait to see what else, any Guesses?
Prost & Cheers from Germany
I remember when they were doing the crowd sourcing process for this. Such a cool vehicle. Good use of other peoples parts without being super obvious.
I think we all should give Doug props for the sheer variety of vehicles he reviews. Wow. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Now THATS what I call a Frankenstein’s Motor! 🧟
@@chrismayer3919 👍👍👍
I love it when Doug gets even more excited than usual about a car. You can hear it in his voice. Always great to watch.
He is at 140% speed in this video.
I worked for Phoenix Rack and Axle, and we were the ones who built the driveshafts for them. I personally made at least 8 of them. Got a tour of the plant out in Chandler. Pretty neat
they all failed too good job crayon eater
Steve at Phoenix Rack and Axle is the man. He built many driveshafts for me for my personal projects. Our lead engineer at Local Motors originally bought driveshafts from that horrible online "driveshaft superstore" but I was able to convince him to go to Steve to both quality and cost.
It's basically a trophy truck. Most TTs use an LS engine, they all are tube-frame (chromolly), up until recently they were mostly RWD (Mason has popularized AWD TTs); most also use long travel king shocks.
A trophy truck with no place for the spare wheels!
@@youtubeaccount9058 Hey, there's one spare. How many do you need?
@@CynHicks A trophy truck would carry 2 but I didn't realize this has a spot for 1 so that's not bad
@@youtubeaccount9058 Especially for an off road "sports car" right? I love this thing, man!
It reminds me of the old school Bugs but with an all American v8. So cool imo.
Forza Horizon 2 Introduced me to this monster, and I fell in love with it. Seeing a real one in Transformers 4 was pure perfection, I've always had strong feelings for this machine
The red interior light is most likely for nighttime viewing; from what I understand, the Military uses red light at night as it is the most visible but doesn't affect the dilation of your eyes as much as white, blue, or green, so you can still see at night almost immediately after the light is turned off.
It is terribly sad to see Local-Motors gone defunct. I remember seeing the development of this incredible machine. I was part of the community full of formidable designers!
you helped them fail! duh!
The RF has been my dream car ever since I learned about it over a decade ago. I drive a 2016 BRZ now and when I look at my car, I see the spirit of the RF. I've got it lifted, outfitted with various suspension braces, and setup with HAM and CB. I'm nowhere near the configuration I envision for it (custom 4" lifted coilovers, twincharged, AWD swap from an STi, etc etc) but one day I'm going to have it where I want it... And then I'm gonna find a Rally Fighter owner to race.
The BRZ is my dream car, just not in my dream configuration. The only car that could ever dethrone it would be an actual Rally Fighter. I felt like a kid staring into the window of a candy shop looking at that auction listing, but dang, even if I'd been here in time for it I never could've accorded it; probably best I'm late actually, lol. It hurts so much to see LM has gone down, even though I've known the RF has been out of production for years. But I'm keeping the spirit living on in my car, and I've been so happy to read the comments from previous LM employees and RF owners to see it's still living on in them, too :]
Red interior light is for nighttime driving, it doesnt mess up your vision so you can see after reading a map at night or if you had a team member reading a map.
Subaru uses red lights in their dials for that reason.
I like how properly-done this thing is. Not superduper impractical with those backseats as a cargo area.
I remember them being decently fun in Forza as well :D
Properly done cargo backseats that dont just explode your kneecaps? Thats impossible unless the car isnt just adjustable seat configurations
properly? You can't even see the speedo
Doug, I think this is the most fun I've seen you have in a car. Love these! Also, I can attest those rear seats are small- I got to ride in the back around Austin one night when Local Motors was at SXSW back in the day.
I loved when a set of these were chasing Mark Wahlberg in Transformers, and he said, “What kind of cars are those?!? They look so angry!”
I’m glad I had the opportunity to tour the local motors in Knoxville TN before it closed. They were really onto something, well a lot of things. Such a shame
I love that production process and I wish more companies offered something like that
I'm not sure about now, but they allowed customers to participate in the building of the engine of your Corvette. My uncle did it.
@@WheresHerb this car looked too cool.
The very first one that was built by hand was built in Wareham, MA where I was lucky enough to visit them building it one night, a couple friends and I sanded and polished the dead pedal and if I remember correctly one of my friends engraved his initials on the bottom of the pedal. Love this car
YES! Love the Rally Fighter. One of the most insane offroad cars in Forza Horizon 4 & 5 and an instant favorite the first time I tried it. Would love to see one in person one day, but this totally makes my day seeing Doug review it!
Same here - I drove it in FH5 not knowing what it was and I fell in love instantly. Might be my favorite offroader in the game.
I remember visiting the Local Motors open houses and they were a blast. Jumping 15 feet in the air the car was just so smooth. Part of its appeal was the fact that you helped build what you bought you knew how to maintain and repair it. Most of the parts were off the shelf and so if you smash a headlight or blow the transmission you can still go out and buy them today. They are amazing vehicles and defiantly turn heads. Top Gear America had one for a race against a air boat and it ended driving over a large log at 60Mph and kept going. I’m so sad I don’t get to see the big Rally Fighter painted on the side of the Local Motors factory when I would visit Phoenix.
Doug the Red interior light is for racing. Some drivers wear helmets with tinted lenses, the red light makes it easier to read through a tinted helmet.
The problem with their "perfect" weight balance is: During most competition rallies, when they claim balance is most important, there is a co-driver/navigator in the passenger seat. The red light is so the co-driver can read navigation instructions at night without ruining the driver's night vision. I suspect there's some other engineering or ergonomic related reason behind offsetting the engine.
yeah he said the drivers side was larger than the passenger side so im assuming the cabin is not balanced.
This is not a competition car though, its rwd. Its just for fun
@@amazin7006 yeah it is it’s designed for rallies. And some of them were custom-ordered as rear wheel drive.
That's a 3800 lb vehicle. A normal sized co-driver isn't going to shift its center of mass unless they're hanging out the window.
When I was in trucking I saw a car fly off of a frozen interstate bridge. ..it flew straight but rolled all the way over and around and landed on its tires and spun out in the snow....there was a skinny guy in the driver seat and a big chubby guy in the passenger seat, and it went all the way around...one of the scariest things I've ever seen. I got to the car and they were in shock, and I got them out because three or four cars flew off that bridge. The point being it was really bad left right weight balance..that worked out for them that day.
Doug goes from reviewing a Rivian Amazon electric van to this, I absolutely love it 🔥👍
Fun fact - the c2 and C3 corvette also has the engine fully behind front wheel centerline and also shifted to the passenger side
THIS LOOKS GREAT would love to see one with a V10 since it kinda reminds me of a viper
These were so cool. One pulled up next to me at a light once. I was in my Challenger and was looking basically at the middle-bottom of the door of the RF - They're way bigger than most normal cars! I'd love to pen a bit more clean/sleek design for an RF2.
I believe these have adjustable suspension with a high or low ride height. Low for handling, high when you want to look cool. This one is in the high setting.
That's actually a really impressive and unique design for a small production kit car.
That red interior light might be for reading a map at night without ruining your night vision. Lots of airplane cockpits have red lights so you can read checklists and charts without messing up your night vision. If you're on a rally stage in the dark, you'd definitely want something like that -- pretty cool that they thought of it.
Super fun video. So glad you pointed out the door handles. My first car was a 1992 Honda Civic, and I recognized the door handles immediately.
The red interior light is for looking at a map while driving at night. Red light doesn’t mess with your eyes ability to adjust to darkness, my guess is that local motors included this for people who would be doing Baja type races in the dark and needed a light like this to look at the route
The red interior light is for night time use, saves your vision. Very common.
Doug I know you usually tend to review cars from the 80’s and up, but please can you do a review for a Plymouth Barracuda, it’s my favorite Muscle car of all time
preferably the best model year, 71
I saw a blue one of these in Malibu a few years ago and have wondered what it was ever since. Thanks Doug!
Now that's what the Ferrari SUV should have looked like! Merry Christmas Doug!🙏🌎🎅⛄🎄🍾🍾🍾
Or a Lamborghini Urus
Just when I think Doug has run out of cars to review, he finds this thing 😂
If he ever runs into this problem, Doug can always go to Europe or Asia, there's enough quirky cars for another lifetime of UA-cam career.
I loved his random house review
I see why the owners selling it. He can just build a new one whenever he wants.😂
20:40min mark
Priceless watching the joy and excitement of Doug doing a "Two-step, Dougie Happy Dance" on that gas peddle.
first time i saw this car was in a Fast and Furious movie. The second time was in GTA Online, with the coil brawler, and it was, for the longest time, the best offroader for racing in the game, excluding the brakes. Im glad i get to see someone, and Daddy doug, no less, review it IRL!
The CNC'd cup holder is one of my favorite quirks/features.
Edit: Maybe 3D printed? 🤔
Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's 3D printed too, you can see the layer lines and the polygonal form..
Rally Fighter - **Creeks and rattles stupidly** 17:05 - 17:22
Doug - "It doesn't like creek and rattle stupidly." 18:08
I caught that 2
Immediately noticed that its a GTA5 vehicle
Thank you, Its the Brawler 😂,,,, ig
same here bro
awesome! it's a trophy truck made out of a sports sedan. it looks very "daily drive-able".
great, detailed video, Doug. only thing missing is a drive by shot, since most of us will never see one in the wild. maybe driving slowly over a parking block or curb just to see the suspension in action.
I actually owned this car for about 9 years prior to this video. I bought it for around 150k and drove it up and down Mount Chilliad and in Los Santos. Best investment I ever made!!
Were you the mass effect fan?
3 views, 13 seconds, and a supremely "Doug" car.
Who else remembers using this in GTA 5 😂
That's only reason why i recognise this car
Exactly! GTA 5. I thought it was not based on a real car.
I remember the early jalopnik days and several articles when it was just an idea about the design comp and I think they had a lot of input from the online community not just the comp winner but we were all very excited when it was actually made.
I can almost guarantee that the weight distribution thing was an excuse for the engine being pushed to the passenger side. Most likely reason was they needed a place for the driver's feet to go. You can see how little foot room there is on the passenger side. If it was centered it would probably be pretty bad on both sides
@Doug DeMuro, I’m really excited to see you venture out lately into some of the customs, like the Town Car you reviewed earlier. These cars happen once in a decade, and aren’t produced dependent upon how much profit they’ll generate….they’re made by someone, or a few, that have what can best be described as a clinical addiction to building the best of the best, and something that’s actually a new idea instead a continuance of someone else’s genius stroke.
These cars are the true result of truly highly skilled fabricators, designers, and thinkers. These guys often sacrifice to the point of it affecting their own family. They don’t have a corporate parts bin to pick from, nor decades of R&D to thumb through to see what works and what doesn’t. They don’t have the luxury of the possibility that if an idea is submitted to the right people, they’ll have billions of dollars in facilities and the finest machinery known to man that can bring their ideas to fruition.
If some of us had those kinds of resources, we might be as well known as Henessey, Shelby, Alpina, and the like, most of which have now backslid into mostly profit-focused endeavors like AMG has done with wheels and trim badging.
Please continue to reveal to the rest of the true enthusiasts these marvelous gems of genius, creativity, sacrifice, and dedication!
So this is where GTA 5 got this car from 😂😂😂
Imagine never having to slow down for a speed bump or let off for a driveway. 😊
Imagine if your dad would've pulled out and your mother drank you.
That's why Karen's drive huge SUVs.
I liked seeing the joy and genuine happiness on your face when you were driving it. :)
I’ve been waiting for this review for a LONG TIME, so glad you got to do it!!
The joy in your voice driving the Rally Fighter....! That's how I imagine getting behind that wheel! Always loved it.
Don't forget, Doug! A lot of manufactures borrowed items from others! DeTomasso Pantera, fine example. Tons of Ford Capri parts, German transaxle, Lucas wiring, Girling brakes, Ghia coach work, Ford truck engine, AMC Javelin door handles, oh the list goes on.....
If ever there was a car that embodied the word “fun”, this is it!
It’s an off-road, rally sports car, with all the cool necessities to make it comfy and relatively easy to operate, but raw enough to still feel like you’re both the king of the road and have the need for speed! Plus, ITS A KIT-CAR, and YOU COULD CUSTOMIZE IT AND HELP BUILD IT TOO!!!
While the Boonie Bug is my current all time favorite kit-car and personal dream vehicle, the Local Motors Rally Fighter is perhaps an equally exciting vehicle that I hope to ride in someday!!!💖💖💖
I have a police interceptor with a red dome light and I love it. I have the white light option, but I always use red.
Saw one of these on my way to work this morning in Vegas. I couldn't take my eyes off of it and got some super cool pictures
6:30 suuuper smart on Doug for blocking those key blades
Looks like the owner was a Mass Effect fan!
There are still remnants of the old N7 sticker on the back of the car, and the black and red color obviously. I like!
I just saw one of these in the parking lot of my local home Depot and for sure could not immediately identify the body
I love you Doug
Wow I haven't seen one of these in years. I remember being in college and Alexis Ohanian came to our campus to talk about anti-piracy bills and internet security, and for whatever reason they had one of these cars with them. I had completely forgotten about that day until just now, so thank you Doug.
I have never seen a person doing a review so informative like this .
The red interior light is because your pupils stay more dilated when you are using it, so when you go back to driving in the dark it will take less time to readjust.
I saw 1, all black, in Santa Rosa CA. I wonder who drove it. This was like 5 years ago
Do backseats have ISOFIX latches for my two kids? 😆
❗️Firstly, let me say this is a great Video.
I love the enthusiasm in your voice.
I'm from England🏴 so seeing one of these on the road is going to be VERY slim, unless I go to a Car Show.
I first fell in love with these cars when I got one in GTA5: Online 😅 (It was called a 'Coil: Brawler' in that game).
Then, years later in 2023, I got to drive one in 'Forza: Horizon 5'.
I'd love one in real life in blue with white rear bumper and sides and white rims.
My only disappointment is that, according to this review, there's no in-car radio/music player...
I love that the hood latch in this thing is the same rubber latch that's used on semis to hold rail mounted battery boxes and storage containers closed.
I hope Doug buys it and makes more videos of it
A red interior light is perfect for the night, it doesn't destroy your night vision. I was in the military and that's what we use to red maps and such at night in the field
Hey we need a 4th gen 4runner review please make it! Waiting! 😊
I actually used to work in the same building where these were made! Although it was the secondary factory in Tennessee (it was called a Micro-Factory I think). At the time they were finishing up production of the Rally Fighter and moving onto this self driving bus thing.
Whenever I'd need to use some esoteric and expensive tool/machine I didn't have, I'd go next door and they would often graciously let me in to use it! They had some insane equipment, like metal 3d printers before the tech was mainstream, a 3d printer that could print an entire car, a lot of unique manufacturing methods
Looks like a trophy truck, but without "truck".
Great thing, I'd probably drive it as my daily car, but unfortunately i don't have enough kidneys.
Never been a big car guy but for as long as I've known about them, this has been easily one of my top 5 favorites.
Concerning the interior light, its easier to see a white light than a red light in a tactical night operation. Nice attention to detail to offer a both lights.
The red light helps keep your night vision so you can drive off-road at night
Having two different keys for the doors and ignition was such a common thing back in the day, when I was a kid in the 70s and 80s pretty much every car I ever saw had two keys. I still remember the round and square GM keys to differentiate which was ignition vs doors (square was ignition if I recall correctly).
That is right. Square was ignition.
its idiotic
I remember this