Henry Renaud's FFR GTM Mulsanne - Worthy Of Superlatives

Whether the Factory Five Racing GTM Mulsanne is regarded as a Supercar or a super car is a debate for automotive enthusiasts across the planet to contest. If you peruse various kit car forums, like ffcobra.com, you'll discover that the debate is already raging. In fact, you may have written a post or two and joined in on the discussion.

Some contend that the only sports cars that can wear the moniker "Supercar" have to come from a factory. Ferrari, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Maserati, Jaguar, Bugatti, Mercedes-Benz, McLaren, Porsche, Saleen, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Duesenberg, Auburn, Cord, Alfa Romeo, Delahaye, Talbot Lago, Horch, Wanderer, and BMW-all of these companies can assert that they've built some car models that satisfy the definition of Supercar. Some of the automobile manufacturers listed above produced superior machines prior to the origination of the term Supercar, but that doesn't mean they should be excluded from the list. A vintage car hobbyist would have a hard time arguing that a Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing or a Duesenberg SSJ Roadster isn't a Supercar. The '07 Corvette Z06 and the '05 Ford GT could lay claim to the term. So, too, could the original Ford GT40, the C2 Corvettes, and the 260, 289, and 427 Cobras, for which AC Cars Ltd., of England, Shelby American, and Ford should receive a congratulatory toast from every gearhead on the planet.

We might as well also raise our glasses to Factory Five Racing for introducing the GTM kit. It's considerably more risky for a replica company to introduce a car that's not a replica. When the car is an authentic re-creation of a vehicle that has a robust history, like a Daytona Coupe or Porsche 356 Speedster, you have a huge advantage over a vehicle that has all-new styling.

Taking great risks can yield big rewards. Such is the case with FFR designing, engineering, conducting market research, and finally offering the GTM Mulsanne kit for sale to a discerning, Supercar-kit-hungry audience.

We'll gladly label the GTM Mulsanne a Supercar, especially if someone like veteran FFR builder/owner Henry Renaud and his good friend Scott Coburn are the co-builders. Henry had built two FFR roadsters prior to becoming an early beta builder for Factory Five on the GTM. He was one of three test builders who signed a contract with FFR to be done in time for the company's open house in 2006. For agreeing to be a beta builder, he received a discount for the kit. Henry is the only test builder of the new GTM Mulsanne to satisfy the conditions of the contract and finish the car in time for FFR's '06 open house.

In a mere seven months, the Renaud/Coburn build team had the car painted, upholstered, and running strong, just in time for the June '06 FFR open house. Henry received the kit around Thanksgiving of 2005. After the FFR customer celebration, Henry and Scott added the rooftop cold-air engine scoop and rear brake cooling vents.

KIT CAR first met Henry, his son Marcel, and good friend Scott Coburn, at the 2007 London Cobra Show. As soon as we caught a glimpse of the FFR GTM Mulsanne, we knew we'd better reserve some time to photograph this captivating Supercar in the twilight.

As more and more customer-built FFR GTM Mulsannes are finished, hit the streets, the show circuit, and the various road course and autocross events across the country, we expect the GTM Supercar debate to diminish. We predict that the vast majority of automotive enthusiasts will conclude that the GTM is indeed a Supercar, regardless of the fact that it was built in someone's home hobby garage. The GTM has the looks, the fit and finish, the comfort and amenities, and the performance of some of the most expensive sports cars on earth. We won't hold our noses up in the air just because the GTM can be built for a fraction of the cost of some of those factory-built Supercars. Will you?

We didn't think so.