Q.  There were some growing concerns about the Porsche transmission's availability and growing price.  What was done about that?
A.  The guys at Medeola Transaxels have stepped up with an affordable, high-horsepower 5-speed transmission that is Made-in-the-USA and will be offered shortly to Gen 2 GTM customers.

Factory Five Racing has taken their GTM Supercar to the next level.  Their efforts have resulted in a more refined design that is about $10K less expensive to build and delivers better performance with higher quality and improved fit and finish.

It is my pleasure to introduce you to the new Factory Five GTM Gen 2.


Revised Body Shape and New Molds/Process  

Factory Five made the front end more modern with a smaller and re-shaped air intake.  This improves the looks and airflow aiding downforce. Along with the new contoured front end, Factory Five Racing designed a new carbon fiber (optional) front splitter to match, that delivers improved downforce.



Customers wanted a better looking hood vent area for radiator venting.  We designed new in-set hood cooling vents that look better and compliment the look of the new hood.



Alongside the cooling vents are new hood details that stretch back to the windshield, and highlight the fact that this is a mid-engine design.  The trailing edge of the hood improves visibility with the deletion of previous body wiper bulge.






 The new molded-in headlamp buckets save time in bodywork and assembly.

The canards, revised radiator opening, slotted in-set vents and revised splitter result in improved aerodynamics/downforce.





Going back from the nose is a new door design.  These new doors have the a-pillar molded into the body and are easier to line-up.



Up top there is now a functional roof scoop that vents to the engine compartment.  This is optional.



We had previously updated the side polycarbonate windows and they are now standard DOT safety glass.

 

The rear hatch was a constant source of frustration as the previous design was difficult to align.  The new rear hatch design is shorter and has a stronger liner/construction.  The rear is now one molded piece with revised vent screens.  The new design also allows for the addition of an optional rear fixed wing while maintaining operation of the hatch.



Out back the rear diffuser angle was changed for increased downforce and improved engine cooling.  This is a subtle change from the appearance, but significantly accelerates air for down force and, along with the functional roof scoop and cold-air intake kit, results in better engine bay cooling.

 

The biggest change with the body comes in the hours required for bodywork.  Factory Five Racing built all-new molds.  Every single molded part on the GTM was changed and for each part, they built new tight tolerance molds and make the parts in red gel coat. 



Months ago FFR left the previous standard Autometer gauges behind in lieu of newer FFR GTM specific gauges that deliver  an OEM look and feel.  At the same time, FFR redesigned the gauge surround with a cleaner face and now it has a very rich looking stitched perimeter.

Other Changes



Complaints of not enough caster adjustments have been answered with a slightly revised front end geometry that enables better caster and more precise steering.

 

 One huge reduction in cost is the addition of a truly affordable, but high-performance wheel.  At almost $2,000 less than the previous optional GTM wheel, the new wheels are only $1299 and allow the use of a wider rear tire, a monsterous 335 series! Click here for details.

 

Along with affordable wheels is a possible alternative to the transaxle dilemma.  When we started out building GTM’s the Porsche G50 gearbox was relatively plentiful and affordable.  It also was pretty good at handling stock corvette LS power (at the time 350-400hp).  Today the Porsche units have gotten more expensive and the LS series engines have gotten more powerful, making the search for a new transaxle increasingly important. 

The great guys at Medeola have stepped up with an affordable, high-horsepower 5-speed transmission that is Made-in-the-USA and will be offered shortly to Gen 2 GTM customers.



Lastly, but not least, while the donor Corvette is still a great way to go, the guys at GM Performance Parts are putting together a crate parts package that you will be able to buy directly from the factory that has all the rest of the parts you’ll need to build your GTM with Factory New parts.



We hope you like what we’ve done with the new GTM.  These changes will drive the design into the future and keep Factory Five’s Flagship car up front!

 

 

Factory Five Racing GTM Performance Parts