** All articles are condensed**
** All statistics are based on independent third-party performance testing **

From Car & Driver, September, 2007

Trepidation is your friend when slipping behind the wheel of a car with more performance than that of a Ferrari Enzo. This striking coupe is the latest design from a company that was started in 1995 by brothers Dave and Mark Smith. The car carries greater than 50% of its weight on the rear axle, 62% to be exact, making it adept at handling the V-8’s ferocious output. The car proved remarkably stable and user friendly. It was almost impossible to slide the tail. The reluctance toward oversteer is a result of a cautious chassis design by Factory Five. This is a car that rips to 60 MPH in three seconds flat and clears the quarter mile in 11.0 secs at 132 MPH. And that is quicker than a Porsche GT, a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiarano and a Zo6! The cars sticks too, pulling 1.05g on its grippy tires. The interior layout works well, with plenty of legroom and a good relationship among the pedals, shifter and steering wheel. The driving experience is remarkably confidence inspiring for a vehicle so horrifically quick. The on road ride is quite acceptable. The best part of the car is it can blow off pedigreed cars ten times its price!  

Vehicle Type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe Engine Type: pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 428 cu in. 7008cc Power(SAEnet): 505 bhp @6300 rpm Torque (SAEnet): 470lb-ft @4800 rpm Transmission: 6-speed manual DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase 101.0 in Length: 171.5 Width: 74.0 in Height: 42.5 in Curb weight: 2496 lb C/D TEST RESULTS: Zero to 60 MPH: 3.0 sec Zero to 100 MPH: 6.6 sec Zero to 150 MPH: 15.2 sec Street Start 5-60 MPH: 3.6 sec Standing ¼ -mile: 11.0 sec @ 132 MPH Braking, 70-0 MPH: 166 ft Roadholding, 200-ft-dia skid pad: 1.05 g

From Kit Car Magazine, September, 2007

We were excited to see how the sleek, mid engined road burner would perform in its road test. The car took five years to design and develop thru considerable CAD/CAM work. Two prototypes were built and tested. Following is our testing results of the GTM LS7 on Toyo RAI Tires:

PERFORMANCE ACCELERATION 0-60 mph: 4.08 SECONDS BRAKING Minimum stopping distance From 60 mph: 98.67 feet HANDLING Lateral acceleration: 1.00g Balance: Neutral Slalom Speed (420-foot slalom): 47.6 mph Lateral seat support: Good TEST CONDITIONS Temperature: 75 degrees Fahrenheit Humidity: 30 percent Elevation: 52 feet above sea level Location: El Toro Marine Base, EL Toro, California

 

From Kit Car Magazine, November, 2006

With five years of development behind it, the Factory Five Racing GTM is now ready for the road.

They have gone to enormous lengths to get this car right before releasing it. The design was first approved by a focus group who viewed it. Then the car began some tough testing at the world class wind tunnel at Langly Air Force base, typically reserved for testing new military air craft designs. The information gathered there resulted in the hood cut outs, internal ducting design, wind splitter and diffuser shapes. When our former editor drove a prototype he found the car quick and agile. At 5’ 6” he could slide the adjustable bucket seat to find a comfortable spot to handle the steering and see out the rear. After a quick drive down some back roads and a blast down the highway, he had the impression that the car was stable and responsive. A 6’ 5” 300 lb employee also fit, as he hopped into the drivers’ seat and quickly speed away.