Quick Take: Here are the wonderfully crazy paint options
for the 2014 Local Motors Rally Fighter
When I first heard about Local Motors in 2007 I was skeptical, skeptical that an emerging company that specialized in low volume high priced automobiles through an innovative business model centered around open sourced designs could find success with such a microscopic niche. Then I saw the car and became even more skeptical. The car resembled at first glance a Mitsubishi Eclipse-esqe pseudo sports car attached to a Jeep chassis. The Rally Fighter was designed to be the ultimate off road beast. I immediately dismissed it as outlandish and silly. And it was, at just under 100 thousand dollars it seemed even more ridiculous to me. As I stated, the car came out in 2007 and is still around, squashing my initial skepticism and replacing it slowly, with admiration. Over time I have grown fond of this odd yet historic car. The Rally Fighter is perhaps named so because it combines rally car capabilities with fighter jet purpose and aggression. The greenhouse of this car is even reminiscent of a fighter jet canopy. The company is not standing still with the single vehicle either. Local Motors have recently announced plans to release a second car, this time a serious track sports car. Like the Rally Fighter, its design will ultimately come from a submission from the public. The company, in cooperation with Cincinnati Incorporated and Oak ridge National Laboratory has recently built the Strati, the worlds first 3D printed electric car. This was done in front of an admiring audience in 44 hours but was not just a stunt. There is intent by Local Motors to bring the Strati to production. There may be yet, more exciting things coming from this company. Back to the Rally Fighter, as you might imagine from a high price, low volume vehicle such as this the customization options are unsurprising plentiful. But I was surprised to see how dynamic the Rally Fighter configurator actually was.
Cars come in lots of form factors Wagons, Sedans, Sport utility vehicles, one you don't see too often is an off-road capable sport coupe like the Local Motors Rally Fighter. That is why I cant help but briefly mention here the AMC Eagle SX/4. This "sporty" coupe version of AMC's Eagles were passenger cars built on Jeep chassis and was only available a few years (1981-1983). It is a historic example of this rare form factor that came well before the Rally Fighter.
Back to the Rally Fighter, this is the menu for the Local Motors Rally Fighter configurator, as usual you can choose from several paint colors. Additionally, you can choose a second accent color and quickly reverse the main color and the accent color. The way these colors express is dependent upon what "theme" you use, more on that later. These paints are for the most part bright, primary colors but there is also a Matte Black and a military inspired Green. If you look at the color options you notice there is also an option for Carbon Fiber and Chrome these are likely achieved with vinyl. And certainly with the more intricate themes vinyl is probably used to create the designs. The Rally Fighter is offered in six themes (as I call them). These are the design templates to which you can apply the primary and secondary color options. A few of the themes have unique colors and features built into their design. The six "themes" have different names, they are: Classic, The Lude Eagle, Flames, Baja Racer, Miss Behavior, Urban Camo, Arrow, Red Line, and California. You can also choose some accessories and wheel options, as well as a city setting or an off-road desert setting to place your Local Motors Rally Fighter in.
This is the Rally Fighter with the Classic theme using Red as the main paint color and Black accenting the nose, the hood, the "reverse spear" on the fender and door, and the lower rear section. I like the simple design of this theme with the main color appearing on most of the car including the entire canopy. While other themes will have all or some of the canopy painted black this body colored canopy extenuates the sports coupe design.
Here is a reverse of the previous car. The main color and the accent color can be switched with one click on the configurator menu. If you have around 200 thousand dollars, may I suggest "his and hers" Rally Fighters.
The Rally Fighter Lude Eagle is another theme that exercises relative restraint and is all the better for it. The main color on this example is White with Black carbon fiber-like accents. Note that this theme features a Black painted front cockpit section and lower rear section.
This Rally Fighter theme is creatively called Flames. The main color is shown here in Blue while the Orange accent color fills the flames as well as a thin stripe that separates the main body from the lower rear section. The entire canopy on this theme is Black while the mirrors are body colored.
I cant help but be reminded of the MASK Hurricane (one of my favorite toys growing up) by the above Rally Fighter in the "Flames" theme in Blue and Orange.
A Rally Fighter Baja Racer with Light Grey and Red as accent color, which in this theme, shows up throughout the graphic heavy design as well as on the wheels.
The Baja Racer again, looking purposeful, this time with Black as the main color and Blue as the accent. Since there was already Black built into this theme you get a solid Black car with Blue accents. The theme features an intricate rally car design that looks competition ready.
Rally Fighter Miss Behavior offers a classic fighter jet look, complete with vintage inspired nose art (on the door). This theme has the first third of the canopy painted Black. The main color in this example is Military Green with a Blue accent color that shows up in a stripe across the door and in the checkered nose cone. The chrome section is part of the theme.
The gaudiest Rally Fighter theme in the group has to be Urban Camo. The combination of the two bright colors on this theme look like Zubaz pants or something out of the eighties. The rear lower section is demarcated by a deep character line and painted Black along with the front half of canopy and the side view mirrors. This theme too, could look completely different, perhaps even tasteful, using different colors.
The Rally Fighter Arrow is a nice looking theme shown here in Military Green and Red as the accent. The Black shown on the hood and diagonally crossing the doors is part of the theme.
Rally Fighter Red Line in Black with Red accents, the Red shown here over the side and rear quarter window is the accent color that carries over from the hood stripe to the rear deck lid. The thin Red stripe and the Red accents on the front fender are part of the theme, no matter which colors you choose.
The Rally Fighter Red Line again this time in a Light Blue with Military Green accent. The Red stripe as well as the Red inset in the grill opening is part of the titular theme. Not visible here, the Green stripe on the hood crosses over diagonally and carries over the drivers side door (see the Red example previous photo) then switches back to be in line again with the hood stripe. This theme also features a thin Red stripe just above the lower rear section. This theme is unique because it is one of the few themes that is body colored in this lower rear area.
The Rally Fighter California, as part of this theme features the secondary color on the hood as well as the lower rear section painted white with a negative palm tree expressed in the main body color. What is visible on the fender is a graphic image of sun rays that radiate from a unique California logo that originates on the roof of the car.
The Rally Fighter California with White as the main color this makes the palm tree (visible above) disappear. The accent color here is Red and can be seen on the hood.
Finally, here is the Classic again but this time in Matte Black with a Matte Military style Green. This Rally Fighter is outfitted with the accessory light bar and full size spare. So if you have some time to spare and even if you don't have an extra 100 thousand dollars to spend. Check out the Local Motors Rally Fighter configurator for some creative automotive fun. It is free to look and free to dream. I have just scratched the surface here of the custom possibilities with the Rally Fighter configurator. Also, with the live configurator you can rotate the car as well to further explore every angle of your creation, Enjoy!