160 MPG Factory Five GTM!

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Dave Lindsey in What's New

Details: Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Innovation Award Winner
The November 2011 issue of Popular Mechanics includes a front page blurb that states:

“The 160 MPG built by high school students!”

And inside is a feature on the TDI-powered GTM hyper mileage car built by the kids at West Philly High School and directed by faculty adviser Simon Hauger.

Each year, Popular Mechanics celebrates the year’s best and boldest inventions. Our car shared this honor with James Cameron and his deep sea camera rig technology, the Mars rover, a cell phone tower in the palm of your hand, a cure for paralysis, and bird-like flying robot as well as a reasonable space capsule and a super-efficient engine design… pretty serious company.

We are super proud of the accomplishments made by Simon’s team and have an agreement going forward to integrate this technology into our newest 818 chassis.

Factory Five Racing

GTM at Popular Mechanics’ Awards Night

Latest Factory Five News

Five Deals from the Factory Five Guys Ends Soon!

June 17, 2026

2026 is off to a great start, and the team wants to keep the momentum going! They have put together a sale for all of our kits to help you build your car your way this year. Score a Free IRS Upgrade OR Save $2,026 Off Options on Mk5 Roadsters, Mk4 Roadsters, Type 65 Coupe, and ’33 Hot Rod To ensure your finest ride is possible, we are offering FREE IRS Upgrades (up to $3,199 in value). Our Independent Rear Suspension is the best suspension configuration Factory Five has to offer. This upgrade package includes: OR you can save $2,026… Read More »

From Track to Street: Ben F.’s Factory Five Challenge Car

June 17, 2026

For five years, Factory Five customer Ed Boothman and his team competed in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill in a modified Challenge Car. After the 2012 event, the car was retired, and eventually sold by Ed. It is now owned by Ben F. from New Hampshire who has shared the news that he has completed converting the 25 Hours Challenge Car into a steet car. “My father and I took the tour down at Factory Five in late 90s,” said Ben. “and “That cemented what I wanted to do: open a shop and work on old English vehicles.” Ben took… Read More »

Jesse L. Scores Autocross Top Time of Day in Mk4!

June 15, 2026

Like so many of us, Jesse L. has been thinking of owning a AC Cobra since he was young. His dream became a reality in February 2025 when he purchased his Factory Five Mk4 Roadster kit to start building with his daughter, Claire. They recently shared the exciting news that they have reached the go-kart stage and decided to take it to their local autocross. Jesse tells the story better than we could, so we’ll let him take it from here: “This idea of getting an AC Cobra started, like I am sure many people do, with an adolescent idea,” said… Read More »