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Welcome back from the holidays – I hope you're getting ready to jump into an action-packed 2019.

In this Update: I'm Making It Official • Is American Muscle the Real Hustle? • Yet More People to Talk To • How Will I MVP this EV, Anyway? • James May Describes His Ideal Night In*
 

I’m Making It Official

  • As nearly all of you know, I've been a part of Mighty AI since its founding in 2014. It's been a profound period of my career and a privilege to have a role in joining so many others' entrepreneurial journey. We have built an incredible team and a promising business. But it's time. I am returning to my familiar briar patch: the earliest, most uncertain days of something new. Reise is obviously an obsession, but it's one of several ventures I am going to explore in 2019. I really appreciate having you along with me.

    I'll be leaving Mighty on February 1st, taking a very short break, and then keep right on keeping on.

Is American Muscle the Real Hustle?

  • I admit, my E30 will is wavering a bit and I haven't even gotten started. In part based on my Facebook poll, some subsequent conversations, and new discoveries, I wonder if the best platform to restomod might be mid 60s-mid 70s American big iron – Camaros, Mustang Fastbacks, C3 Vettes, Barracudas, and such. Maybe even a suicide door Lincoln? Several of you mentioned them early on with a glint in your eye. I noticed. (And I'm not talking about from-new reimagining; there's already too much vaporware to sift through.)
     
  • There is at least one dedicated player in the space: terrible website and name, but possibly amazing cars: bloodshedmotors.com. The have a YouTube-famous Mustang, Zombie 222, that's been profiled since at least 2015. It's insane.
     
  • I think they're strictly converting owner-provided cars, marking up components, and charging a flat rate for craftsman labor. (Fascinating video where founder discusses pricing.) Reise would take a different approach once we prove an MVP product people will buy: source inventory first, offer a standard set of features plus premium options, rinse and repeat. BYOBMW would also be supported.

Yet More People To Talk To

  • I discovered Simon Lord just before Christmas. He's got a great story.



    He's a British Army officer turned gearhead entrepreneur. His full story is in Road & Track; the gist is that he was smitten with the BMW E30 M3 while serving in Germany, and decided to create Redux Leichtbau, dedicated to evolving this legendary performance car using the most modern motorsport technology and design available.

    I contacted him about Reise and he was intrigued. "Electric vehicles are the future, so converting E30s to battery power is something I’ve already considered. So, I don’t think it’s crazy at all and happy to discuss further with you." Chat planned for later this week.
     
  • Here's a good Cleantechnica profile of electric conversion as a cottage industry perhaps about to take off. The usual suspects. I rather liked this comment:

How Will I MVP this EV, Anyway?

  • You might have been wondering about this. WeWork doesn't have garage space, full tool cribs and hydraulic lifts, or consulting Master Technician mechanics – but The Shop here in Seattle does. I'm a member and I plan to work with a couple of staffers there to convert Reise Motors Serial Number #0001 – whatever it ends up being – with their considerable help.

Next actions

  • Reach out to Blood Shed motors' Mitch Medford. See if there is synergy for working together. Could the broader Reise product vision be the front office to his potent back office? Exhaust all possibilities.
     
  • Learn what Simon Lord at Redux Leichtbau knows and feels about non-M3 electric E30s.
     
  • Continued outreach to ICON, Zelectric, and others to get better sense of their product/market fit and whether I'm looking at this differently-enough.
* Not actually in the update. Deliberate Top Gear throwback.

Reise Motors


Vision
To be the AMG of electric restomod.

Mission
To craft exhilarating and sustainable motoring experiences, designed for people who love to drive.

Tag
Classic German Touring Cars Electrified and Outfitted for 21st Century Drivers. Like You.

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