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New Factory Five Mk5 Roadster Kit Can Fit Bigger Drivers, Bigger Engines
Factory Five Racing is celebrating its 30th birthday by releasing a new kit, called the Mk5 Roadster. As its name implies, the Mk5 is an evolution of the 15-year-old Mk4 that was redesigned from the ground up to offer a more spacious cabin, a bigger trunk, and, crucially, an engine bay big enough for Ford’s Godzilla engine.
At first glance, the Mk5 looks like a Shelby Cobra—that’s the whole point. (Factory Five wasn’t going to make it look like a Chevette.) And there’s far more going on here than meets the eye. The company started with a new spaceframe chassis that it claims is about four times stronger than the tubular frame found under the Mk4. The new design weighs about 55 pounds more, but it sounds like the pros outweigh the cons.



First, space. We’re told the Mk5’s cockpit allows a driver who is 6’5″, 330 pounds, and has size 14 feet to sit comfortably behind the wheel. That’s pretty impressive; someone that large probably has a hard time fitting in a lot of newer compacts, not to mention a Miata. The trunk is bigger, too, so the Mk5 should be more road trip-friendly.
Second, starting from scratch allowed Factory Five to carve out a bigger engine bay. The Mk5 kit still ships without an engine, you’ll need to source your own, but you now have a longer list of V8s to choose from including Ford’s 7.3-liter Godzilla. It’s rated at 430 horsepower, though we’ve seen one make 789 horses. Numerous other Ford- and General Motors-sourced V-8s fit in the Mk5’s engine bay, including the 5.0-liter Coyote that powers the F-150 and the Mustang and just about any engine from the popular LS family.



While the styling hasn’t changed much, Factory Five points out a small but important detail. It lowered the roll bar by about two inches and tilted it ever so slightly toward the back of the car for a more streamlined look. Lowering the roll bar also allowed the brand to design a removable hardtop that gives the Mk5 a cool, fastback-like silhouette. Painting the body should cost less, too, thanks to a new UV-stable gelcoat.
Pricing for the Mk5 Roadster kit starts at $24,990 excluding shipping, which is a not-insignificant increase compared to the Mk4. Dave Smith, the company’s co-founder and president, explains the price hike was necessary to take the numerous changes and improvements into account. You’re not out of luck if you’re looking for a more budget-friendly kit car: the Mk4 remains in production with a base price of $20,990.




I like the coupe body look it gets with the hard top. I would prefer a coupe myself if they offered it.
The roadster is stunning.
Hate to be the nitpicker but what it looks like is an AC Ace. Which is what the Shelby cobra is with a bigger motor. That said I agree that the coupe looks great.
Factory Five: Please consider making the hardtop permanently affixed with rollup windows in the doors. Sort of what the Cobra would have been if Shelby had started out with an AC Aceca instead of an AC Ace.
What a great looking car with the potential ability to keep you warm in the cool Southern winter drives!
Anybody who has watched Dan Short at Fantom Works will remember he built a removable 63 Vette Split Window Fastback removable hardtop for any of the Vette Roadster folks who wanted one!
Expensive yes, but it sure looks good on the car. It also extends the gas fill location so the fill/gas cap is functional with the fastback roof attached!
A great idea for the new Factory Five Cobra! I wonder if they ever watched Fantom Works?
😂