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CatherineNoodle
11/08/09

In reply to Local Motors Rally Fighter: The First-Ever Creative Commons Car
But, you know what? This is how NEW car companies can be started. Why rely on the big 3 or 4 or whatever to crank out the same crap? Yes there is an issue with intellectual property, but it's a great way for young designers to get real world experience NOW.
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67firebird454
11/07/09

In reply to Local Motors Rally Fighter: The First-Ever Creative Commons Car
It could use 4wd and a lower price. Although that BMW engine is nice it's too expensive base cost, equally expensive repairs, expensive aftermarket, and what will be hard to find parts.

Other than that I like the ideas they have, especially the assisted build, where they can skip some government regulations and give people a connection with their car right off the bat without the long, arduous, and usually problematic process of kit car building.

I'm looking forward to what they make in the future. Most new cars have compromise and it'll be interesting to see what other segments they fill. #localmotors
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skulldriveshaft picasaweb and youtube
11/07/09

In reply to Local Motors Rally Fighter: The First-Ever Creative Commons Car
stop drinking the haterade people.

this is just the next extrapolation of a bunch of people getting together and making a sweet ride.

this is just more noticeable, and exposed to opinions.

at least someone is taking a risk and just putting it out there, which is way more than I can say for the appliances I see on the roads.

Come on, give builders a chance. #localmotors
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mattbagwell
11/07/09

In reply to Local Motors Rally Fighter: The First-Ever Creative Commons Car
I saw John speak a few weeks ago about this. More than the idea of 'crowdsourcing', he was excited about making the process of buying a car be personal and unique. Anyone who has invested their own time, care, bruised knuckles, cuss words, etc, into a car (and their money, of course) is that much closer to it, for better or worse.

I think it's clever for a company to try to foster that attachment up-front. By the time many of us cross paths with a car we take a liking to, it's somewhat beaten and forsaken, and the manufacturer/dealer has been out of the picture for many many years.

Guess they're counting on that to justify the price tag.

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Blix
11/06/09

In reply to Local Motors Rally Fighter: The First-Ever Creative Commons Car
so how safe is an open-source car? #localmotors
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exartist
11/06/09

In reply to Local Motors Rally Fighter: The First-Ever Creative Commons Car
"Rally Fighter"? Did they open source the name as well? I guess "Super Karate Monkey Death Car" was already taken. #localmotors
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Jamie Seymour
11/06/09

In reply to Local Motors Rally Fighter: The First-Ever Creative Commons Car
You stupid idiots selling your designs for NOTHING to Local Motors and devaluing real design. Why would a company actually hire you to be a professional designer when they can buy designs from a competition? #localmotors
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snapoversteer 'bout to get told
11/07/09

@Jamie Seymour: No, you don't understand the business model. If you develop a lot of successful designs for free, then you'll eventually get hired to design professionally, maybe without even having any education. Or maybe it's that you're expected to continue to design for free forever. I can't remember. OK, maybe I don't understand the model either. #localmotors
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Jim-Bob
11/06/09

In reply to Local Motors Rally Fighter: The First-Ever Creative Commons Car
With something like this, they may be able to get away with it. This will probably never have to pass Federal safety laws, nor will it have to be registered and inspected like a normal car. The real test is how well this concept works to make a bread and butter car like a small hatchback for commuting. That is actually a far more difficult task than this thing is because cost is a huge factor as is safety. Balancing the two is a task that even large automakers have a difficult time with. Fuel economy is slightly easier because you just subtract engine displacement and add lightness, but then you run up against safety. So, while I think this is an interesting concept, I do not think it will work in reality. People who design real cars for a living spent many years in school to do so, and I doubt many of them wish to see their tuition money and time go uncompensated. #localmotors
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Rabbi Dave
11/06/09

In reply to Local Motors Rally Fighter: The First-Ever Creative Commons Car
Yeah, cars for the masses by the masses. A $50,000 off roader. That's what the masses want. Any warranty with that?

Good luck. #localmotors
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egoods
11/07/09

@Rabbi Dave: $50k puts it in the same league as the Raptor and Power Wagon. Heck, do a Rubicon up enough to compete with that and I'm sure you've put more then $50k into it. So, yes, for the off-roading masses they've created a relatively cheap, well designed, off road vehicle. And it looks so kick ass. #localmotors
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drewdrawshashtags
11/06/09

In reply to Local Motors Rally Fighter: The First-Ever Creative Commons Car
It's an interesting start.

Jay Rogers seems like a good guy and I like what he says, but I feel like a lot of what he does doesn't fit.

First of all, I think the end result is cool, but far from fantastic. It looks disjointed and designed by committee. I think most of us would agree that the greatest car designs in history have come from the singular vision of one person and not from the "wisdom" of the crowd.

Secondly, it seems to me that Local Motors got 2899 members to work without compensation. With all of the recently unemployed designers floating around the world right now (and maybe, you know, in Detroit), I'll bet they could have had something even more incredible. Alas, they probably would have been expected to be paid for their work. You know, given a job instead of a prize.

Third, the whole idea of Local Motors is to create unique vehicles for niche markets and build them using members of the community its designed for. But crowdsourcing the design out to all of the world's design students (most of their design community) doesn't jibe with that philosophy. Shouldn't they be crowdsourcing the ideas for the car from desert racers, then paying one single-minded designer to rip out the coolest thing ever from that input? Wouldn't that make more sense and be more in keeping with their supposed concept? I think so.

And finally, there's the point that, other than the gimmicky crowdsourced design process, this is really just another cottage/kit car company. They use parts-bin parts? Awesome. Lotus, TVR, Bristol, Vector and every other small manufacturer has done that for decades, and often crucified for it. Many, like TVR, have done it better than LM.

Yeah, I have opinions on it and I realize a lot of people will disagree with me, but I think it's time that someone other than the LM hype-machine gave the other side of the story. #localmotors
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FrankGrimes
11/06/09

@drewdrawshashtags: I think all your criticism is pretty logical.

I am no expert on this project but from what I have read they give away prizes as in cash and pretty substantial amounts too. To those ideas they use.

To me this thing looks like a rock crawler although a nice one. It's got a cool BMW diesel but it looks like something someone built in their garage.

I think my biggest concern is price. They explain how much cheaper it is to use already developed parts but still charge $50,000 for the thing. Does that price include the labor done by the owner to build it. What would it cost if it was turnkey?

I find it funny they proclaim how green it is with the diesel engine and the lack of paint. I can't picture someone into the environment blasting through the desert and doing burnouts. I am sure they have some reason why that's bad for the environment. #localmotors
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drewdrawshashtags
11/06/09

@FrankGrimes: They do give away prizes to the winners, but that doesn't mean that the others participating didn't essentially do tons of development for them with no compensation. That means those of us trying to earn a living as designers won't generally participate and students have the most to gain.
There's a reason why this type of competition is explicitly advised against by organizations such as the AIGA. #localmotors
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HiramJahoovafat
11/06/09

@drewdrawshashtags: Looks like it was designed by a committee that neglected to convene on occasion... #localmotors
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d3c509b aka Steve
11/06/09

@drewdrawshashtags: I am an engineer, and I would volunteer some of my time to accomplish something like this.

Most engineers are quite "stifled" in corporate structures, and don't have the freedom to be creative and develop freely. A project like this gives them the chance.

If software developers can work on "hobby" projects like XBMC, why can't a hobby engineer help develop a 2+2 RWD shoot brake with a twin turbo v6.

Both seem fun to me! #localmotors
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drewdrawshashtags
11/06/09

@d3c509b aka Steve: This is a vehicle designed to make a profit. It won't be free to download or built for the masses as a non-profit organization like Mozilla or XBMC. So you volunteer your time, and Jay Rogers makes that more cash on each 50G car. If that sounds good to you, go for it!

Also, imagine having a 2nd year student get paid for an engineering solution that's not as good as the one you spent weeks on because the "crowd" liked it better. Wouldn't that be frustrating?
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Edited by drewdrawshashtags at 11/06/09 4:28 PM drewdrawshashtags was starred

FrankGrimes
11/06/09

@drewdrawshashtags: What type of design do you do? I am a student pursuing an industrial design degree. #localmotors
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drewdrawshashtags
11/06/09

@FrankGrimes: I used to be a car designer (but haven't been for a long time). Theses days I'm mostly an illustrator. #localmotors
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FrankGrimes
11/06/09

@drewdrawshashtags: I used to want to be a car designer. Doesn't seem worth it anymore. #localmotors
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kleinlowe
11/06/09

@FrankGrimes: Same here. I couldn't stand the thought of spending decades being the lower-left-tail-lamp guy just to have the chance to maybe, someday get to be the hood scoop guy. I've heard auto design is the Major Leagues of design - which means unless you're lucky, aggressive, hyperfocused and willing to step on people to climb up, you'll never get in.

If I ever get the bug to design cars I'll do kit cars - with the growth of micromanufacturing and things like this it seems like there's a 1000x better chance of seeing your ideas on the street. #localmotors
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snapoversteer 'bout to get told
11/06/09

In reply to Local Motors Rally Fighter: The First-Ever Creative Commons Car
I have serious doubts about the wisdom of the crowd, but I sincerely hope that Local Motors finds some success. The way cars are made currently is the result of anticompetitive shenanigans by huge car companies going back decades. The result is artificially high barriers to entry mostly based on regulatory capture and artificially homogenous product offerings. I'd love to see more companies and greater product differentiation. #localmotors
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Fitty7lax
11/06/09

In reply to Local Motors Rally Fighter: The First-Ever Creative Commons Car
Welcome to the future.

I really hope one day major car makers become more like Shimano, SRAM, and Campy are in cycling, making high quality components to agreed upon standards that are installed into highly personalized semi-custom cars.

I think this is a step in the right direction. #localmotors
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jbh11126
11/06/09

In reply to Local Motors Rally Fighter: The First-Ever Creative Commons Car
Holy shnozzles they've finally done it!

Some smarty pants has perfectly recreated the Rally Car from Smugglers Run on PS2.

Good work, no GREAT work. #localmotors
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area_educator
11/06/09

In reply to Local Motors Rally Fighter: The First-Ever Creative Commons Car
Is that the exhaust on the front fender? #localmotors
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roxhayes
11/06/09

@area_educator:
I think you're right. That's the freakin' exhaust on the fender, just like the P-51 Mustang.

They should paint it in old WWII squadron colors with the girly names on the fender/fusalage.

I'm really diggin this. #localmotors
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that ain't the way to have fun, son
11/06/09

In reply to Local Motors Rally Fighter: The First-Ever Creative Commons Car
I really like the idea of starting with a chassis, then getting to pick-and-choose from an almost limitless pile of parts.

On the downside, this means others with shall we say, um, questionable taste, will have the same ability. Fortunately, they tend to shop at the stick-on performance section of Pep Boys. #localmotors
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