Sneak peek: Rally Fighter before SEMA unveil

“We focus on the fact that the thing needs to be able to jump, it needs to be able to race the desert at a high rate of speed, 50-plus miles an hour on average,” he said.

When the Specialty Equipment Marketers Association show starts Nov. 3, the Rally Fighter will be one of several handcrafted vehicles from small manufacturers, and one of hundreds of tuned production cars, many modified by major manufacturers like Ford and GM. It’s an exuberant display of horsepower, body kits, wild paint jobs, and trick electronics.

For Rogers, it’s just the first stop of a month-long tour through the American Southwest, where he hopes to gain exposure and sales through “tweet-ups” and other informal events. So far, 22 customers have placed $99 deposits.

Rogers said he is confident he can sell the 200 Rally Fighters needed to break even, and will produce as many as 2,000 in total. The company is seeking $25 million in federal loans, and plans to create a “micro factory” – where parts will be shipped in and customers will be on site to complete the production process – in Phoenix.

Underneath the hand-crafted fiberglass and carbon fiber body, which will be covered in custom, removable vinyl wraps instead of paint, are parts fitted in some of the world’s best-selling production cars. The powertrain – a twin-turbo diesel and six-speed automatic – is straight out of the BMW 335d, as is the fuel tank and instrument panel. Attached to 32-inch knobbed tires is a Ford F-150 rear axle, and the long-travel shocks above it are similar to those on Ford’s own dirt-racing special, the Raptor. At the front of the 3,200-pound Rally Fighter is a crumple system used in Mercedes vehicles.

But even with OEM parts and an exemption from expensive crash testing, Rogers still had to satisfy the 45,000-strong community of Internet designers and car buffs on local-motors.com. When Rogers decided to use taillamps from the Honda Civic coupe instead of a custom set that would have cost the company a staggering $1 million, the fans didn't take it well, Rogers said.

“At times, I went to bed at night and was like, damn it, what have we done?” he said.

Few, if any, vehicles go from concept to production without changes to make them more efficient, less costly, and meet governmental and industry standards. When production begins in early 2010, we'll see how this ultimate dune buggy really performs.