See news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3610083.stm for full details.
Didn't they test a similar 3-wheeled "tilting" car on Top Gear some time back? IIRC it was Dutch.
Chad.
|
|
Looks intersting, but the 50mph top speed could kill this off.
|
|
I agree. I never understood the concept of a car that was only any use in towns. Imagine the frustration of being stuck at 50 when trying to actually go somewhere. I live in London but I upgraded from a town-car (Micra) to a motorway car (525i) simply because I never drive in town. It's far better to use public transport in London, and when I drive somewhere else I want a car that can cope with motorways.
|
|
I should think the 50MPH limiter would be easy to get around as it will be an electronic speed restriction, I had my Smart for-2 Cabrio re mapped & that removed the 83MPH limit, It will do over 100MPH now (& very stable it is too & still over 50MPG!) Put me on the list for a Clever!
|
|
just lookis like an up dated bubble car - Hardly a new idea.
|
These were called cyclecars in the 20s, when the objective was to make them affordable rather than small, bubble cars in the 50s. They were by and large either quite or utterly carp by reputation. Certainly the ones I've experienced - original Bond Minicar (not the Bug which was a lot faster and may have been better) and BMW Isetta - were, well, pretty carp despite Isetta's ingenious packaging and front door with articulated steering column attached, and Bond Minicar's hand-lever to start the motor and total absence of reverse gear (you just turned the wheel as far as possible and the thing would spin round in its own length like a dodgem car).
I would avoid on principle anything with less than four wheels, although a JAP-Morgan - perhaps the only truly successful cyclecar - has a certain charm.
|
|
On reflection the GN, predecessor to the chain-drive Frazer Nash, was a cyclecar successful in sporting events.
|
|
|
|
Did you mean that bright orange thing VBH tried out? I think it was called a Stryker but it had a price tag of about £40k. Looked like a massive amount of fun. Probably banned by the EU by now....
teabelly
|
|
155 mph (restricted) 40 mpg and 0-60 in 6.3 and can carry four adults. That's what I call clever.
|
I don't see this 'Clever' car taking the motoring world by storm.
If it has a top speed of 50 mph then a conventional 3-wheel design without the tilting would suffice and save a lot of money.
the city car market is likely cover two categories - the pure urban short range vehicle, like the Reva G-whizz electric car, and the sub-supermini class like the Peugeot 107 or Smart - cars that are at least usable at motorway speeds.
|
When I saw my name against this thread, I seriously thought someone had cloned my ID or I was starting to loose my marbles -
Sofaspud, this thread is over 2 years old! - did someone lock you in the archives?? ;-)
|
Apologies to Sofaspud - there have been some more recent replies too. OK, maybe I am starting to loose it after all....
|
|
A 100 mph-plus Smart 4-2? Nooooooooooooo! Thank heavens there are no elks in the UK.
|
|
Don't know why this thread re-emerged from the vaults except that this car has been built now - saw it on TV a few weeks ago.
|
|
|
|
