Connecting Kit Car (and Replica) Enthusiasts Worldwide | KitCarConnection.com

The Porsche 917 was the car that gave Porsche its first wins at the 1970 and ‘71 Le Mans. It is one of the most iconic sports racing cars of all time, known for its high speeds and amazing horsepower.  Then of course, there is the glitz and the glamour that goes with having starred next to Steve McQueen in one of the greatest race car films of all time ...Le Mans.

The boys at Automotive Legends have one of the greatest of all legends in store for you.  This is the home of the Fibersteel factory and it all began when Russ Rodriquez first happened upon a reproduction of his dream car, the Spyder 550. When Russ happened upon this car, he could tell right away that the mold had been taken off a real Spyder. He also knew that he had to own that car.

As Automotive Legends gets more and more orders, the Porsche 550 Spyder Re-Creation deserves even more attention. This is the tragically romantic vehicle that killed old Jimmy Dean. Hopefully the modern day hero of the streets will learn from the errors of his age old hero and drive with a bit more caution.

For Automotive Legends, the 550 Spyder Replica is their fastest car and, as a result, it sees a lot of time on race tracks all over the world. They are light and fast and few cars on the road that have the speed, handling, and fun of the 550 Spyder. Of course, these race car drivers have a bit more experience behind the wheel so let’s not get too carried away as old Jimmy Dean did in those early days. Instead, let’s take a closer look at this legendary car and see what it might do for our image.

The Intermeccanica Roadster is a custom built high quality reproduction of the 1959 Porsche 356-A Convertible "D". Those were the days of freedom and innocence and a look back will make you breathe a sigh of relief. The original Porsche 356 was created by Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche whose father was actually “Dr. Porsche” himself. He was the original founder of the Porsche company and the original designer of the Volkswagen Beetle.  That’s right folks! The Porsche actually got its start from the Beetle and you can easily see the similarities in the 356-A Convertible “D” Replica.

The answer to this question and many others can be answered by visiting the website of Mike Vetter's The Car Factory, based in Micco, Florida. There you will see many stunning photos which show how the company's special Porsche Boxster Rebody kits can trick up an existing, perhaps aging, Boxster to take on the look of a Porsche Carrera GT. By putting on deeply carved custom side panels, scissor doors, and a rear wing assembly that raises up higher with the speed of the car, Mike Vetter's site brings a whole new meaning to "Hot Re-Body!" There are hot bodies literally all over his website!

The idea behind the GTM Supercar is pretty simple. American car makers wanted to make a car that could run with the big dogs and help the average Joe to keep some spare change in his pocket.  Leave it to the Americans to think of the most practical considerations. Now, if you want a car that can beat Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini at a price that an ordinary guy can afford, wheel out the tools and clear out your garage because Factory Five has been waiting for you in the good old USA.

The GTM Supercar is engineered to be built as a chassis kit at home and the final product is going to go from 0-60 in 3.0 seconds. That should pretty much tell you everything you need to know.  Of course, you will also be able to rocket down Freedom Drive with items like A/C, power windows, and a complete interior which wouldn’t likely be included in other cars that run so fast.  This definitely makes it a vehicle suitable for the average Joe who also wants to push the envelope every once in a while when he is out to prove his domination on racetrack.

To lay out the specifics, however, the GTM is V-8 powered with a mid-engine design and a composite body shell with an aluminum and steel tube frame chassis. The car uses a GM Performance engine and a Porsche 911 Transaxle.  It is primarily a high performance car but it has enough of the comforts to keep your sweetheart happy as well. It is light and aerodynamic and it can beat the three of the most prized sports cars in history; the Porsche Carrera Gt, the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and the Lamborghini Murcielago. Car and Driver testing against these cars showed the GTM to be competitive with the fastest accelerating cars in the world. In the tradition of Factory Five, an American made car can now be said to run with the big dogs.  This gives it top priority for a very serious consideration by any kit car enthusiast on the planet.

Go cruising just northeast of San Diego in sunny southern California and you just may come across the town of El Cajon. What's so interesting about El Cajon? It's the home of Thunder Ranch, which has created some of the most flat-out gorgeous kit cars in the world.

Tom McBurnie, owner of Thunder Ranch since it opened its doors in 1978, is a seasoned racecar driver who knows how to design and build truly spectacular kit sports cars.