The Local Motors Rally Fighter: The Ultimate Off-Road Sports Car

Introduction: A Unique Off-Road Sports Car

The Local Motors Rally Fighter is not your typical off-road vehicle. It’s an incredible blend of a sports car and an off-road machine, featuring the power of a Chevy Corvette V8 engine and the ability to tear through desert trails with ease. With its rugged suspension, lifted stance, and custom design, the Rally Fighter is a one-of-a-kind vehicle. In this article, I’ll take you through the Rally Fighter’s most impressive features, its quirks, and why this machine is unlike anything else on the market.

What is the Local Motors Rally Fighter?

The Rally Fighter is the brainchild of Local Motors, a company based in Arizona. The car was produced between 2010 and 2015 with the goal of creating a desert-running off-road vehicle that combines the thrill of sports car performance with off-road capabilities. Unlike traditional off-road vehicles designed to climb rocks and navigate rough terrain, the Rally Fighter is more of a high-speed desert racer—perfect for off-road drifting and conquering sandy dunes.
What makes this car even more special is the way it was built. Owners of the Rally Fighter didn’t just purchase a car; they participated in the building process. Local Motors would gather the parts, assemble the vehicle to a certain stage, and then the buyer would join in to help complete the car. This made the Rally Fighter technically a kit car, allowing it to be legally registered in all 50 states, including California, which has some of the strictest vehicle regulations.

A Customizable Experience

Given its low production numbers—only around 100 cars were made at the factory—the Rally Fighter was highly customizable. Each vehicle could be tailored to the buyer’s specific needs. While all Rally Fighters came with rear-wheel drive to keep weight down and simplify the design, there were options for different engines, including supercharged or turbocharged versions. The standard model came with an LS3 V8 engine, the same powerhouse used in the C6 Corvette and Camaro SS, delivering an exhilarating driving experience.
The very first Rally Fighter was equipped with a BMW diesel engine, but Local Motors later switched to the Corvette engine because it was more cost-effective and easier to source. However, if you wanted a more personalized experience, you could even request custom builds, as evidenced by a handful of Rally Fighters being equipped with four-wheel drive for movies like *Fast & Furious*.

The Unique Design: Built for Performance and Style

While the Rally Fighter was built for performance, it was also designed to look amazing. The sleek, aggressive body style was crowdsourced, with thousands of designs submitted before a winning design by Songho Kim from Pasadena, California, was selected. His vision for a car that combined the ruggedness of an off-roader with the sleek lines of a sports car became the foundation for all Rally Fighter models.
Despite its unique design, the Rally Fighter features several parts borrowed from mainstream production cars. This approach helped keep costs down and ensure regulatory compliance. For instance, the side mirrors come from the Dodge Challenger, the taillights are sourced from the Honda Civic, and the door handles are borrowed from Honda as well. Even the fuel door and reflectors are repurposed from other brands, highlighting the Rally Fighter’s practical yet innovative use of components.

Off-Road Capabilities

The Rally Fighter isn’t just about looks—it’s built to handle serious off-road challenges. With 16 inches of suspension travel in the front and 20 inches in the rear, this vehicle can tackle rough terrain with ease. The long-travel King suspension components are a critical part of its off-road prowess, allowing the Rally Fighter to glide over bumps and ruts while maintaining control.
Although it lacks four-wheel drive, the Rally Fighter’s rear-wheel-drive setup and high-performance suspension make it more than capable of tearing through desert landscapes. The Corvette V8 provides plenty of power, and the car’s lightweight frame ensures quick acceleration and responsive handling, even in challenging conditions.

Interior: More Than Just Functionality

The Rally Fighter’s interior offers more comfort and convenience than you might expect from a car designed for off-road racing. Power windows, power locks, and keyless entry are all standard, making it feel more like a daily driver than a stripped-down race car. The Rally Fighter also comes equipped with air conditioning—an essential feature for a vehicle built in the scorching Arizona desert. Despite its rugged nature, this off-road machine even includes cruise control, a backup camera, and power seats for added convenience.
The interior design includes some quirky features as well. The gear shifter, for example, has cutouts for your fingers, making it feel more mechanical and engaging, even though it’s an automatic. The switches on the center console feature small icons of the Rally Fighter, adding a personalized touch to the dashboard. Additionally, the steering wheel, though aftermarket in appearance, is stitched with the Local Motors logo, further emphasizing the vehicle’s custom nature.

Offset Engine and Perfect Weight Distribution

One of the most interesting engineering details of the Rally Fighter is the position of its engine. Unlike most vehicles, the LS3 V8 is mounted behind the front axle, technically making this a mid-engine car. This placement improves weight distribution and handling, giving the car better balance when navigating off-road terrain.
To achieve perfect weight distribution, the engine is slightly offset toward the passenger side. This unusual configuration ensures that, when the driver is seated, the weight is evenly distributed across all four wheels, maximizing performance. However, this means the passenger has a little less room compared to the driver—a testament to the Rally Fighter’s driver-focused design.

Driving the Rally Fighter: A Unique Experience

Driving the Rally Fighter is an exhilarating experience, especially off-road. The high ground clearance and long suspension travel give you the confidence to tackle just about any terrain. Despite being built as a kit car, the Rally Fighter feels surprisingly well put together. It doesn’t rattle or creak like you might expect from a low-volume production car, and the driving ergonomics are comfortable and intuitive.
The Corvette V8 engine delivers a satisfying rumble, and the rear-wheel-drive setup ensures that the Rally Fighter maintains its sports car feel even when tearing through the desert. Steering is quick and responsive, which is impressive given the vehicle’s size and off-road capabilities. Although it lacks modern features like anti-lock brakes and traction control, the Rally Fighter’s raw, unfiltered driving experience is part of what makes it so special.

Conclusion: The Rally Fighter’s Legacy

The Local Motors Rally Fighter is a vehicle that defies categorization. It’s a sports car, an off-roader, and a customizable kit car all rolled into one. With its limited production, customizable options, and incredible off-road performance, the Rally Fighter stands out as a unique automotive experience. Whether you’re driving through city streets or blasting through desert dunes, this vehicle offers a thrill like no other.
I’ve recently come across someone who shares my appreciation for this unique machine, and their story has inspired me. If you’re interested in learning more about the Rally Fighter, check out their video at this YouTube link.