FFR 818 Update

The problem is that here in MA unless a car came with HID you can not use them. Aftermarket units are no no longer legal. I bet that this will be a problem for the 818 here in ma. I am personally fine with that. The HID headlights are just to dam bright even when properly adjusted. I am getting old and my eyes just don't adjust as fast as they use to to bright headlights from on coming traffic. I have literally been blinded by some HID / Projector units. IT is a really bad / scary thing to have happen. Especially those on high end Euro cars. They really suck. Getting old sucks.

dean1484 wrote: Getting old sucks.

Heh. 'I'd rather get old than get cold'.

Me, I like the way it looks. The overhang is not excessive in my opinion. (looks around to see if olpro's gonna smack him over the head.)

I just posted this over on TheFactoryFiveForum.com:

In reply to David_Hodgkins:

Anybody have a thoughts? It looks ok, I like it better in race trim in blue, than the red street version. I've been following this car from the design competition, and when I look at the red one I see Jim's quarter scale car that was almost universally disliked and that Dave S. said was dead. The fanboys over at FFR forum like it, but its hard to get any real feedback over there because if anybody says anything even remotely negative they are heavily chastised.

Looks OK to me, on par with the better-looking modern sporty cars, but I like my cars angular (could you tell? )

Looks like a Honda S2000 still.

I will agree that the contrast of the race version helps it out a lot.

There was a lot of discussion a few weeks ago regarding front overhang. Here's a just released profile--- and a point of reference.

Jeff

dean1484 wrote: The problem is that here in MA unless a car came with HID you can not use them. Aftermarket units are no no longer legal. I bet that this will be a problem for the 818 here in ma. I am personally fine with that. The HID headlights are just to dam bright even when properly adjusted. I am getting old and my eyes just don't adjust as fast as they use to to bright headlights from on coming traffic. I have literally been blinded by some HID / Projector units. IT is a really bad / scary thing to have happen. Especially those on high end Euro cars. They really suck. Getting old sucks.

HID retrofits aren't legal anywhere. Technically, neither are a lot of the bulbs you can buy at any auto parts store.... BUt the main problem is people who plug-and-play into Halogen housings/projectors....or worse into REFLECTOR housings. Those are the ones that kill your eyes, and the ones not aimed properly.

Correctly-aimed HIDs using HID projectors with a cutoff flap actually are less bright to oncoming traffic than a regular old halogen reflector...

Blame idiots who don't maintain their cars and/or who get ricer plug-and-play kits for your blindness.....not the technology itself!

Point of my original post, though, was that using WRX housings gives several options for different Halogens and HIDs (both OEM!), since The base impreza, wrx, and STi all use the exact same housings, just with different internal reflector/projector setups.

Plus the point that to make the roadster, you'll be looking for Subarus anyhow and can possibly find the headlights in the same place you find the drivetrain!

I wonder if they will offer any alternate bodies, maybe based on the cool ones from the contest?

Don't judge the looks of the car on the build shots. I know how hard it is to get decent shots of a car when it's in the build stall - there's not usually enough room around the car to use anything but a fairly wide angle lens, and from a front quarter that's going to exaggerate the nose.

So much talk about the styling. FF has learned their lesson, do not let the internet in I like this car because of what it is.

Keith Tanner wrote: Don't judge the looks of the car on the build shots. I know how hard it is to get decent shots of a car when it's in the build stall - there's not usually enough room around the car to use anything but a fairly wide angle lens, and from a front quarter that's going to exaggerate the nose. So much talk about the styling. FF has learned their lesson, do not let the internet in I like this car because of what it is.

Saw the mockup in person. Had plenty of time and room to consider it. The color scheme actually helps the design and the photos capture it fairly.

What they've got a case of here is giving the job of artistic design to an engineer with no artistic training. It resulted in a mishmash of cute little aesthetic elements that work well individually, but don't come together into a cohesive design. It's a huge case of missed opportunity.

Massive amounts of talent in the design competition, as well as locally as RISD, all squandered in a Barnum-esque publicity stunt. Sigh.

I'm sure the car will perform well. But plenty of kit cars do that. This was supposed to not only perform well, but have killer looks too. Sure, this is better than those fiberglass 70s monstrosities with the plexiglas windows held in by fat black weather stripping, but definitely not what it could have been.

You know that side view shot kinda sorta makes me think.. . . . Miata. If you told me it was a MX5 prototype for 2014 I would believe it. That in its self is sad.

peter wrote: What they've got a case of here is giving the job of artistic design to an engineer with no artistic training. It resulted in a mishmash of cute little aesthetic elements that work well individually, but don't come together into a cohesive design. It's a huge case of missed opportunity. Massive amounts of talent in the design competition, as well as locally as RISD, all squandered in a Barnum-esque publicity stunt. Sigh.

I couldn't agree more, maybe they had no idea how much talent would show up for the design competition, thinking it would just be a bunch of guys like me who liked to draw their dream cars in grade school, and then they would roll out their version. In the end if I had never seen what this car could have been I might not be as dissappointed. I guess they did say from the beginning they were not obligated to build any of the submissions.

irish44j wrote: Point of my original post, though, was that using WRX housings gives several options for different Halogens and HIDs (both OEM!), since The base impreza, wrx, and STi all use the exact same housings, just with different internal reflector/projector setups.

I think one problem with using the WRX headlights is Subaru changed the headlights on the WRX so many times. Seems like every other year.

JKleiner wrote: There was a lot of discussion a few weeks ago regarding front overhang. Here's a just released profile--- and a point of reference. Jeff

Overhang looks much more reasonable in this pic, now I wanna see the street version with the top! I think this is one of those cars that will look really good with black paint.

Its kind of funny, not just this thread, but in most where something new is announced, style seems to have significant value over function. Who knew such a style sensitive crowd lurked on this board!

Bit worried about y'all

In reply to NOHOME:

Have to agree on this one. There's an awful lot of cars with a following on this board that are downright homely or dull looking. We get a car that might well be one of the best enthusiast developments of recent years and based on a few pictures there's pages of commentary on its probiscus.

I used to tell a friend known for his pickiness that if Angolia Jolie showed up and performed a gratuitous sexual act on him, he'd complain that her lips were too big. His response: "well they are!"

But he would complain after :)

Maybe I am crazy but am I the only person that is thinking about doing one of these up with a subby diesel from across the pond?

singleslammer wrote: Maybe I am crazy but am I the only person that is thinking about doing one of these up with a subby diesel from across the pond?

Yep...pretty much guarantee that!

I did not know there was a Subaru diesel. The normal engine sounds enough like one that I shudder to think what the actual diesel sounds like!

NOHOME wrote: Its kind of funny, not just this thread, but in most where something new is announced, style seems to have significant value over function. Who knew such a style sensitive crowd lurked on this board! Bit worried about y'all

Well since the whole GRM contest thing was all about the looks of the car I can see where it may be of a little interest to us what the final iteration of the 818 looks like.

I never was a fan of the body style choice in the first place. FF had to pick a demographic to market to. Their other offerings are squarely at other markets. The 818 is for a younger crowd and it can truly be built on a budget. It also uses the favorite car of the under 40 crowd as a doner. Add in a little bit of rice boy meets a "viperised" miata and you can surely agree that this is not the same market that will be looking at the T bucket or the cobra's or the GTM.

Dave Smith is very smart and I bet a lot of thought went into picking the market segment and then building a kit to fit that demographic.

I just realised I just made up a word. "viperised" LOL

Peter wrote: "What they've got a case of here is giving the job of artistic design to an engineer with no artistic training. It resulted in a mishmash of cute little aesthetic elements that work well individually, but don't come together into a cohesive design. It's a huge case of missed opportunity.

Massive amounts of talent in the design competition, as well as locally as RISD, all squandered in a Barnum-esque publicity stunt. Sigh. "

Absolutely correct - if probably too kindly said. I am amazed (but shouldn't be) at the gushing over at the FFR 818 site about this turkey. Nothing new, nothing aesthetically good, just the same ol manipulative stuff, trotted out for the SEMA intro. At least it probably will be a good product, other than the grossly missed styling effort.

New pics showing some more of the non-R 818:

(open fullscreen for a better look)

I think it would look better with a small spoiler.

I agree it looks a bit imbalanced without it

Also its hard to tell but I feel like the front needs the splitter from the R as the non R looks like it doesnt have anything running flat across the front where that raised portion is/

Is there some sort of roll protection on the non R as well I am seeing something maybe behind the windshield and seat

And the reflection in the door almost looks "not smooth"