Building the cars America stopped making.
Beautiful. Mechanical. Yours to fix.
The word caliber has two meanings — and both are the brand. It means the measure of quality ("a person of high caliber") and the diameter of a bullet — precision meets firepower. It's a word mechanics, engineers, shooters, and craftsmen all respect. It doesn't sound European. It doesn't sound Silicon Valley. It sounds American — like something built in a shop, not designed in a boardroom.
"I drive a Caliber." That sentence sounds right. It sounds fast. It sounds earned, not bought.
The mark is a thick, angular C shaped like a tachometer sweep — the arc of a gauge from idle to redline. The opening of the C points right, implying forward motion. Inside the gap sits a needle pointing up, frozen at the moment of peak power.
It's not chrome. It's not glossy. The badge is brushed aluminum, debossed into metal — stamped, not printed. Like something you'd find on a precision instrument, a rifle scope, or a machinist's tool. On the car, it sits flush with the body — no raised plastic, no stick-on badge.
The wordmark CALIBER is set in wide-tracked, clean sans-serif — like something stamped on the side of an engine block. No script, no italics, no swooshes. Industrial. Direct. Permanent.
The Camaro is dead. The Challenger is dead. The Mustang is going hybrid. Every new car comes with touchscreens you can't disable, subscriptions you didn't ask for, and repair bills that require a dealer appointment and a $200/hr diagnostic computer.
Millions of Americans love cars — not appliances. They want to drive, not be driven. They want to open the hood, not call a technician. The industry has abandoned them.
Modern vehicles use proprietary fasteners, sealed units, and software locks. The average owner can no longer change their own brake pads without a dealer tool.
The average new car costs $48,000. Half that price is screens, sensors, and subscription hardware the buyer never asked for.
There is not a single new AWD, manual transmission, analog-gauge performance coupe on the American market today. Not one.
Aggressive, muscular design language inspired by the golden era of American performance. A car that turns heads in every parking lot.
Manual transmission. Hydraulic steering. Cable throttle. Analog gauges. No touchscreen. No subscriptions. No software updates. Just drive.
Every bolt is standard. Every part has a number. Full repair manuals ship with the car. Your garage, your tools, your rules.
Stripped. Brutal. Yours to Build On.
Handbuilt. Refined. Ready to Drive Home.
Everyone wants an E46 M3 — the 2003 BMW with the screaming inline-6, manual gearbox, and hydraulic steering that you could feel the road through. It's the most celebrated driver's car of a generation, and clean examples now sell for $40-80K. The Kimera EVO38 captured that same raw, analog spirit and charges $760,000 for it.
We're building what both of those cars represent — raw, mechanical, connected, beautiful — but new, warrantied, and priced for normal people. More power than an M3, AWD like an Evo, analog like a Group B rally car, and you can fix it yourself unlike either.
| Feature | Caliber Motors | Kimera EVO38 | Lotus Esprit Restomod | BMW E46 M3 | Ford Mustang GT | Subaru WRX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual Transmission | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| All-Wheel Drive | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| 600+ HP | ✓ (700hp) | ✓ (600hp) | ✗ (400hp) | ✗ (333hp) | ✓ (480hp) | ✗ (271hp) |
| Fully Analog / No Screens | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ (CarPlay, cameras) | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Pushrod / Race Suspension | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Owner-Repairable | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ (aging parts) | ✗ | ✗ |
| New / Warrantied | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ (20+ yrs old) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Under $55K | ✓ ($29-55K) | ✗ ($760K) | ✗ ($575K + donor) | ✗ ($40-80K used) | ✓ ($43K) | ✓ ($33K) |
The Kimera EVO38 costs $760,000 for a 600hp AWD manual with carbon fiber. The new Lotus Esprit restomod costs $575,000 — plus you supply a $50K donor car — for 400hp and RWD. They even added Apple CarPlay and 360° cameras, defeating the analog purpose entirely.
Their actual build cost per car is estimated at $90-140K. The rest is brand markup on exclusivity. There is nothing in either car that justifies a 5-10x markup over component cost — except scarcity and prestige.
Caliber Motors delivers more power, AWD, true analog purity, AND owner-repairability starting at $29,900. We're not competing with these brands. We're making them irrelevant for anyone who actually wants to drive.
The global manual transmission market is $22.6B and growing at 4.3% CAGR. The US motorsport transmission market alone is $271M, growing at 9.6% CAGR. The automotive aftermarket — people modifying and repairing their own cars — is a $300B+ industry.
Muscle car auctions hit record highs in 2025. Enthusiast demand isn't declining — it's being ignored. GM themselves admitted "this is not the end of Camaro's story" because they know the demand exists.
The Kimera EVO38 uses inboard pushrod suspension, a twin-charged 4-cylinder making 600hp, carbon fiber everything, and costs $760,000. We use the same engineering philosophy — lightweight, mechanical, raw — but with off-the-shelf American components that cost a fraction. The result: the same driving experience at 1/15th the price.
We don't reinvent the engine. We don't develop a transmission. We don't build our own ECU. We use the best performance components already mass-produced, EPA-certified, and available at every parts store in America. Then we wrap them in a chassis and body inspired by the best rally and track cars ever made.
Subaru STI 6-speed with Driver Controlled Center Differential — the same system that won World Rally Championships. Paired to a turbo LS V8 via Clutch Masters adapter. Mechanical, adjustable, bulletproof.
4130 chromoly steel spaceframe — the same material used in F1, NASCAR, and Baja trucks. Three times stiffer than a unibody, half the weight, and any welder on earth can repair it.
Inboard coilover suspension with pushrod actuation — the same layout as the EVO38 and Le Mans prototypes. Keeps weight centered, reduces unsprung mass, and looks incredible with exposed linkages.
A junkyard 4.8L LS with a single turbo makes 700hp on stock internals. No hybrid system, no electric motor, no battery pack. Mechanical throttle cable, blow-off valve, wastegate you can hear. Pure.
Toggle switches, analog gauges, quick-release steering wheel, exposed driveshaft tunnel. Inspired by fighter jets and Group B rally cars. Zero screens. Zero subscriptions.
Every fastener is standard SAE/metric. Full exploded-view repair manual ships with the car. Oil change in 10 minutes. Brake pads in 20. Turbo swap in an afternoon. Your garage, your tools.
| Component | Source | Unit Cost | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine (LS3 6.2L V8) | GM Crate | $8,000 | 430hp, EPA certified, millions sold |
| Transmission (Tremec T56) | Tremec | $3,200 | Proven 6-speed manual, OEM-grade |
| AWD Transfer + Diffs | BorgWarner / GM | $3,500 | Off-shelf AWD components |
| Tube Frame Chassis | In-house (4130 steel) | $2,800 | Simple, strong, weldable by anyone |
| Fiberglass Body Panels | In-house molds | $4,500 | Light, durable, body-shop repairable |
| Suspension & Brakes | Wilwood / QA1 | $3,800 | Adjustable coilovers, 6-piston calipers |
| Interior (Analog) | Custom + Suppliers | $2,500 | Leather, aluminum, analog gauges |
| Wiring, Fuel, Cooling | Holley / Misc | $1,700 | Simple harness, no CAN-bus complexity |
| Total BOM per Vehicle | $30,000 | Sell at $49,900 — 40% gross margin |
Conservative projections based on the Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act (325 units/year cap). Factory Five Racing built a sustainable business at ~200 kits/year with 40 employees. We target similar volumes with higher ASP and margin.
| Metric | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw Units | 5 | 15 | 40 |
| Complete Units | 10 | 35 | 100 |
| Total Units | 15 | 50 | 140 |
| Revenue | $699K | $2.37M | $6.69M |
| COGS (BOM + Labor) | $485K | $1.65M | $4.66M |
| Gross Profit | $214K | $720K | $2.03M |
| Gross Margin | 31% | 30% | 30% |
| Operating Expenses | $350K | $500K | $800K |
| Net Income | ($136K) | $220K | $1.23M |
| Headcount | 5 | 15 | 35 |
The Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act of 2015 (part of the FAST Act) was specifically written to enable companies like ours. It provides streamlined compliance for manufacturers producing fewer than 325 vehicles per year.
Low-volume manufacturers register with NHTSA but are exempt from the full FMVSS crash testing suite that costs major automakers $100M+.
By using current model-year GM crate engines, we meet all emissions requirements out of the box. No separate EPA certification needed.
More than enough for profitability. Factory Five built a 30-year company at similar volumes. We start small, prove the model, then scale.
Finalize chassis design, CAD modeling, body styling. Source crate engine, transmission, AWD components. Begin tube frame jig fabrication.
First drivable prototype. Chassis + drivetrain + basic body. Begin shakedown testing. Film the entire process for launch content.
Debut the finished Model One at SEMA 2027. Open pre-orders with refundable $5,000 deposits. Target: 30 deposits in the first week.
Deliver first 12 customer cars. Publish full build documentation, repair manuals, and parts catalog. Every car comes with a toolbox.
Ramp coupe to 50 units/year. Launch the Caliber Trail — a gas-powered analog off-road truck that competes with the $132K Munro M280 at 1/3 the price. Solid axles, manual transfer case, diesel or turbo LS, built to go anywhere without worrying about finding a charger in the middle of nowhere.
Every vehicle Caliber builds shares the same DNA: mechanical, repairable, powerful, affordable. No electric gimmicks. No subscription fees. No planned obsolescence. Just honest machines.
AWD Performance Coupe
Analog Off-Road Truck
4-Door Analog Sedan
We're raising $500K to go from concept to rolling prototype and SEMA reveal. Every dollar is mapped below with line-item detail. This gets us to a drivable car, a public debut, and first customer deposits.
CAD, chassis engineering, body design, suspension geometry. This is the blueprint for everything.
| Item | Cost | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Chassis CAD & FEA analysis | $25,000 | Full 3D model of tube frame, stress simulation, crash load paths. Freelance automotive engineer (3 months). |
| Body design & surfacing | $20,000 | Exterior styling in Alias/Blender, clay-to-digital. Freelance industrial designer. |
| Suspension geometry design | $15,000 | Pushrod inboard layout, kinematics simulation, anti-roll bar spec. Suspension consultant. |
| AWD integration engineering | $15,000 | LS-to-STI adapter fitment, driveline angles, transfer case mounting, custom driveshaft spec. |
| Wiring & harness design | $8,000 | Simple standalone harness layout, fuse/relay spec, gauge wiring, ignition system. |
| Cooling & fuel system design | $7,000 | Radiator sizing, oil cooler routing, fuel cell placement, E85 fuel system spec. |
| Interior & cockpit layout | $10,000 | Seat positioning, pedal box, dash layout, toggle panel design, steering column angle. |
| Engineering software licenses | $5,000 | SolidWorks, ANSYS, OptimumKinematics — 1 year. |
| Contingency (10%) | $15,000 | Unexpected revisions, additional consultant hours. |
One complete, drivable Caliber. This is the car that goes to SEMA and generates deposits.
| Item | Cost | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 4130 chromoly tube (chassis) | $1,200 | ~200 ft of 1.5" and 1.75" DOM tubing. Enough for frame + roll structure. |
| Chassis fabrication labor | $8,000 | TIG welding, jigging, 160-200 hours at $40-50/hr. Can be done in-house to save. |
| Engine: LS3 6.2L crate or junkyard turbo 5.3L | $8,500 | Raw: Junkyard 5.3 ($500) + turbo kit ($3K) + fuel system ($2K) + tune ($700) + misc ($2,300). Complete: LS3 crate ($8,500). |
| Transmission: Subaru STI 6-speed | $2,500 | Junkyard pull with DCCD center diff. Rebuild synchros if needed (+$800). |
| LS-to-STI adapter kit | $1,200 | Clutch Masters adapter plate + flywheel + pilot bearing. |
| AWD components (diffs, axles, driveshafts) | $3,500 | STI front/rear diffs, axles, CV joints. Custom driveshafts ($600). |
| Suspension components | $4,500 | QA1 or Penske coilovers (4x), pushrod rockers (custom), anti-roll bars, bearings, rod ends. |
| Brakes | $2,800 | Wilwood 6-piston front, 4-piston rear, slotted rotors, braided lines, proportioning valve. |
| Wheels & tires | $2,000 | 17x9 flow-formed wheels (set of 4) + 255/40R17 tires (Pilot Sport or RE-71R). |
| Fiberglass body panels | $6,000 | Hand-laid panels from prototype mold: hood, fenders (4), doors (2), trunk/hatch, rockers. |
| Body mold (plug + mold) | $12,000 | Foam/MDF plug, fiberglass mold taken from plug. Reusable for all future cars. |
| Paint & finish | $5,000 | Nardo gray 2-stage base/clear. Professional spray. Prototype quality — not show car. |
| Interior | $4,500 | Recaro/NRG bucket seats ($800), quick-release wheel ($200), analog gauges ($500), toggle panel ($150), harnesses ($400), aluminum driveshaft tunnel fabrication ($500), misc trim/carpet ($1,950). |
| Wiring harness & electronics | $3,000 | Standalone ECU harness (Holley Terminator X or MS3), gauges, fuse box, headlights, taillights, ignition. |
| Cooling system | $1,500 | Aluminum radiator, electric fans, oil cooler, AN fittings, hoses. |
| Fuel system | $1,800 | Fuel cell (8 gal), high-flow pump, E85 injectors, fuel rails, regulator, lines. |
| Exhaust | $1,500 | Custom turbo-back 3" stainless, V-band clamps, wastegate dump, muffler. |
| Steering | $1,200 | Manual steering rack (no power assist — the car is light), u-joints, column, quick-release hub. |
| Miscellaneous hardware | $2,500 | AN fittings, fasteners, brackets, heat wrap, fire suppression, fluids, gaskets, seals. |
| Assembly labor | $12,000 | 300 hours final assembly, fitting, testing at $40/hr. Can be reduced with sweat equity. |
| Dyno tune & shakedown | $3,000 | Professional dyno tune (E85), alignment, brake bedding, 500-mile shakedown testing. |
| Contingency (8%) | $7,300 | Broken parts, re-dos, unexpected fitment issues. |
12-month lease on a shop plus the core tools to build cars. Dallas industrial space runs $8-12/sqft/year.
| Item | Cost | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Shop lease (2,500 sqft, 12 months) | $30,000 | $2,500/month. Industrial flex space in Dallas suburbs (Garland, Mesquite, Grand Prairie). |
| TIG welder (Miller Dynasty 210) | $4,500 | For 4130 chromoly chassis welding. The most important tool. |
| MIG welder (Lincoln 216) | $1,200 | For brackets, tabs, general fab work. |
| Tube bender (JD2 Model 3 + dies) | $2,500 | Manual bender for chassis tubes. Dies for 1.5" and 1.75". |
| Tube notcher | $800 | For precision tube joints on the chassis. |
| Chassis jig table | $3,000 | Flat welding table with fixture points. Ensures every chassis is identical. |
| Bridgeport mill or CNC router | $8,000 | For adapter plates, brackets, custom parts. Used Bridgeport or entry CNC. |
| Lathe (metal) | $4,000 | For spacers, bushings, suspension components. Used 12x36. |
| Lift (2-post, 10K lb) | $3,500 | For assembly and service access. |
| Air compressor (60 gal, 2-stage) | $1,500 | Powers paint guns, air tools, sandblasting. |
| Hand tools, power tools, safety gear | $5,000 | Grinders, drills, clamps, PPE, consumables (welding wire, gas, grinding discs). |
| Paint booth (temporary enclosure) | $3,000 | Portable inflatable booth or converted corner of shop with filtration. |
| Electrical & utilities setup | $3,000 | 220V circuits for welders, compressor. LED lighting. Basic HVAC. |
| Insurance (shop + liability, 12 months) | $6,000 | General liability, property, product liability for a small manufacturer. |
| Miscellaneous | $4,000 | Shelving, parts storage, computer/monitor for CAD, office supplies. |
NHTSA, EPA, state registration, LLC, legal. The boring stuff that lets us sell cars legally.
| Item | Cost | Details |
|---|---|---|
| LLC formation (Texas) | $300 | State filing fee. Operating agreement drafted. |
| NHTSA Low Volume Manufacturer registration | $2,500 | Application, documentation, compliance consulting. |
| EPA engine certification compliance | $5,000 | Documentation proving EPA-certified crate engine usage. Consulting fees. |
| CARB compliance (if selling in CA) | $5,000 | California Air Resources Board registration. Optional but opens biggest market. |
| VIN assignment & manufacturer ID | $2,000 | Apply for World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) from SAE International. |
| Legal (contracts, liability, IP) | $10,000 | Attorney for buyer contracts, liability waivers, trademark filing for CALIBER name and logo. |
| Trademark registration | $2,000 | USPTO filing for "CALIBER" in automotive class. Attorney-assisted. |
| Product liability insurance (12 months) | $8,000 | Manufacturer's product liability coverage. Required before selling any vehicle. |
| Business licenses & permits | $1,200 | City of Dallas business license, sales tax permit, dealer license (if applicable). |
| Accounting setup | $4,000 | CPA for entity structure, bookkeeping setup, tax planning. QuickBooks annual license. |
Build the brand, film the journey, debut at SEMA, take deposits.
| Item | Cost | Details |
|---|---|---|
| SEMA booth (10x10 island) | $15,000 | Booth space, carpet, signage, lighting, electrical. The biggest single marketing expense. |
| SEMA travel & logistics | $5,000 | Enclosed trailer rental, fuel, hotel (5 nights), meals for 2-3 people in Las Vegas. |
| Professional photography & video | $5,000 | Hero shots of finished car, build process documentation, SEMA reveal video. |
| Website design & development | $3,000 | calibermotors.com — configurator, deposit system, build journal blog. (We can build this ourselves.) |
| YouTube / social media content | $5,000 | Camera gear, editing software, 12 months of build series content. The build IS the marketing. |
| Brand identity (logo, guidelines) | $3,000 | Professional logo refinement, brand book, business cards, apparel design. |
| PR & media outreach | $4,000 | Press releases, automotive journalist outreach, embargo strategy for SEMA reveal. |
| Deposit system setup | $2,000 | Stripe integration, legal deposit agreement, refund policy, CRM for deposit holders. |
| Apparel & merch (first run) | $3,000 | T-shirts, hats, stickers. Sell at SEMA and online. Turns fans into walking billboards. |
| Contingency | $5,000 | Last-minute SEMA needs, unexpected opportunities, car transport issues. |
Cash reserve for operations, first customer builds, and founder salary during the build phase.
| Item | Cost | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Founder salary (12 months) | $48,000 | $4,000/month. Modest but enough to live on while building full-time. |
| First 3 customer car materials | $45,000 | $15K BOM per car to start production before customer payments fully clear. |
| Utilities & operating expenses | $12,000 | Electric, internet, phone, software subscriptions, shop consumables — 12 months. |
| Cash reserve / emergency fund | $10,000 | Buffer for unexpected expenses, slow deposit periods, or supply chain delays. |
Every major automaker is racing toward electric, autonomous, subscription-based transportation. We're building the opposite — and there are millions of people waiting for it.
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