Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Also, to correct myself, I did find specs pages. All 3 of them. 55 Hp. 0-60 9.6 sec. They claim to have seated 6'6'' basketball player and 5'6'' 365 female inside. Comfortably. I found all interior specs. Vehicles will have power windows, power door, AM/FM stereo, a/c, heater, and 2 choices of transmission, manual or automatic. 84 mpg is "to be achieved". And so on.
JUst to counter my own remark that I could not find specs. I did.
And for $6800. Want to buy a bridge? I have a really nice one for sale.
I suspect that these deposits will be as readily refunded as the taxpayer money was that went to Solyndra.
I was looking at specs for the Morgan Three Wheeler, and was struck by this sentence in the Motor Trend review: "OK, so it's not technically a car. But after exposure to the Morgan 3 Wheeler, any car fan will fall in love."
By most measures the Morgan Three Wheeler would be considered a sports car, a re-imagining of their twin seat 1903 Roadster... two spoke wheels in front, open top, with a 1976 CC V-Twin engine, 5 speed Mazda manual transmission, dry weight 525 kg, 0-62 mph in 6 seconds, top speed 115 mph... something like an Elio that's all grown up... and with a grown up price of about $45K
But even at that price point it's still considered a motorcycle for registration and licensing and insurance purposes, and it made me wonder... have any of the people who put a deposit on the vehicle considered what it will take for them to get a motorcycle license? In at least a few states a special motorcycle class is required, as well as special written and practical tests. Not that it's that hard to do, but it can take time and effort, above and beyond what a regular drivers license takes. And Catch 22... you can't take the driving test without a cycle, but you can't legally drive a three wheeler to the DMV without a cycle license.
I was looking at specs for the Morgan Three Wheeler, and was struck by this sentence in the Motor Trend review: "OK, so it's not technically a car. But after exposure to the Morgan 3 Wheeler, any car fan will fall in love."
By most measures the Morgan Three Wheeler would be considered a sports car, a re-imagining of their twin seat 1903 Roadster... two spoke wheels in front, open top, with a 1976 CC V-Twin engine, 5 speed Mazda manual transmission, dry weight 525 kg, 0-62 mph in 6 seconds, top speed 115 mph... something like an Elio that's all grown up... and with a grown up price of about $45K
But even at that price point it's still considered a motorcycle for registration and licensing and insurance purposes, and it made me wonder... have any of the people who put a deposit on the vehicle considered what it will take for them to get a motorcycle license? In at least a few states a special motorcycle class is required, as well as special written and practical tests. Not that it's that hard to do, but it can take time and effort, above and beyond what a regular drivers license takes. And Catch 22... you can't take the driving test without a cycle, but you can't legally drive a three wheeler to the DMV without a cycle license.
It's the little things that get ya.
As I mentioned before...many states have laws requiring motorcycle operators to wear a helmet. I wonder if Eilo points this out to their potential buyers? Even if they could, through some miracle, come close to their price point, it seems like quite the niche vehicle. I can't imagine 1 wheel drive being useful in snow...so you're relegated to a summer or southern vehicle. Unless they come out with a 3WD version. Will it have A/C along with all the other goodies at that $6800 price?
Here's an interesting Top Gear video about the three-wheel Robin Reliant, which shows pretty well why putting the single wheel in front is not such a good design...
Leaving the most dramatic for last, say hello to Energya, a three-wheeler from Canada that looks like it belongs in a Batman movie. They were planning an electric version, but they seem to have dropped off the map around 2009.
I have been doing the rough design of a two passenger car that has one or two closely spaced front wheels like the "Dart" endurance racer as seats in tandem with the engine located in front (amidships) of and driving the rear wheels. By using a rear drive the handling problems of front wheel drive are reduced and by having the passenger seated right behind the driver the tendency to roll over in hard cornering is also lessened.
Any front wheel drive engine and transmission could be used depending on the balance between performance and economy desired. My personal preference would be to make a prototype out of steel tubing with a composite shell and be powered by a Subaru WRX engine. Initial guesstimates indicate a 1400 lb. weight with a 400 Hp engine. That should provide adequate acceleration.
To answer the OP's question I will have to say NO.
I have been doing the rough design of a two passenger car that has one or two closely spaced front wheels like the "Dart" endurance racer as seats in tandem with the engine located in front (amidships) of and driving the rear wheels.
Seriously, watch the Top Gear segment on the Reliant Robin I just posted above. Not only is it the funniest segment of Top Gear I can remember, it's also a very convincing argument for putting 2 of the 3 wheels of a three-wheel design in the front.
All this talk about three-wheel cars... sorry, three wheel MOTORCYCLES, since they cannot be registered as cars... reminds me of what I think was one of the most remarkable motor vehicle designs yet... Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion Car.
Quote:
The car featured highly innovative, and ultimately influential, features compared with the common car of the day including: a three wheel design with rear wheel steering and front wheel drive, a longer body (20 feet), and a highly aerodynamic design. Success of the design was realized in its performance efficiencies: the car could transport up to 11 passengers, reach speeds of up to 90 miles per hour, and ran 30 miles per
gallon.
Those performance efficiencies may not sound that remarkable today, but this car was designed and several prototypes built in the early 1930s, using existing automotive and aircraft technology!
Due to its steerable rear wheel the Dymaxion Car was capable of a sidewise crabbling movement that allowed it to park in a space only an inch longer than the vehicle, and could do a U turn in its own car length. It was demonstrated to wild acclaim at the Chicago World's Fair until a freak accident caused by another car killed the driver of the Dymaxion, and earned it the label of "death car" in the sensationalistic newspapers of the day. Although design and research went on for years, the commercial prospects for the car ended with that crash.
Here's an interesting timeline for that car's history. Note the 1943 work for Henry Kaiser to redesign the car with a small engine at each wheel and no drive train, achieving 40-50 mpg at highway cruise speeds... in 1943!, and a smaller 5-passenger version in 1953. But about then the prolific inventor's geodesic dome designs began becoming commercially successful, and he dropped active work on the Dymaxion Car.
I was looking at specs for the Morgan Three Wheeler, and was struck by this sentence in the Motor Trend review: "OK, so it's not technically a car. But after exposure to the Morgan 3 Wheeler, any car fan will fall in love."
By most measures the Morgan Three Wheeler would be considered a sports car, a re-imagining of their twin seat 1903 Roadster... two spoke wheels in front, open top, with a 1976 CC V-Twin engine, 5 speed Mazda manual transmission, dry weight 525 kg, 0-62 mph in 6 seconds, top speed 115 mph... something like an Elio that's all grown up... and with a grown up price of about $45K
But even at that price point it's still considered a motorcycle for registration and licensing and insurance purposes, and it made me wonder... have any of the people who put a deposit on the vehicle considered what it will take for them to get a motorcycle license? In at least a few states a special motorcycle class is required, as well as special written and practical tests. Not that it's that hard to do, but it can take time and effort, above and beyond what a regular drivers license takes. And Catch 22... you can't take the driving test without a cycle, but you can't legally drive a three wheeler to the DMV without a cycle license.
It's the little things that get ya.
Here you can get a temp. motorcycle license. You can't have passengers and it is only good for 90 days (iirc). Too lazy to look it up. I actually got one with the intention of getting a motorcycle endorsement and then decided it wasn't worth it. That time and effort thing. I don't care to ride them anymore either.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
