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Return of the Bubble Car? (reuters.com)
mikeebbbd writes: Back in the 1950s, many European carmakers (some of which are still in operation such as BMW) made tiny cars for one or 2 people that ran on tiny amount of gas. The remaining examples of bubble cars have become sort of a fetish. Now two Swiss brothers, according to Reuters, are trying to resurrect one of the more iconic designs -- the BMW Isetta. One wonders how it could meet any kind of safety standards, but a prototype is shown in the article. Perhaps it might be registered as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle, which gets it by a few standards? Oliver and Merlin Ouboter have more than 7,200 orders for their Microlino, a modern version of the Isetta which swaps the old single-cylinder petrol engine for a 20 horsepower electric motor but keeps the famous front-opening door. The brothers, whose father Wim made millions from modernized kick-scooters, plan to launch the car in December. "The average modern car is way too big for normal use," said Oliver, the project's 24-year-old operations chief.
“We have stripped a lot of the needless instruments out,” said Oliver. “In modern cars you have so many buttons I honestly don’t know what many of them are for.”
And yet you think you're qualified to be a car designer?
No sig today...
Give it only three wheels, you can sail by NHTSA with anything.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Charge everybody a hefty fee for driving large personal gas guzzlers downtown in major cities. Provide exemptions for cars like this, electrics and delivery vehicles. They do a limited version of the tax in London already, but it's more of a money grab than a real control on traffic. Even so, it's had an effect.
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
Who gets to define what "normal use" is?
Anyone with eyeballs. Just watch cars go by. 70-80% have a single occupant. That is "normal use".
I've noticed that US auto buyers are quite good at justifying the car they want.
I predict most buyers will consider this car to be too unsafe, or too small, or too under-powered.
It doesn't matter if none of this is true for the driver's purpose. Cars are an extension of the self for Americans, and few people would feel secure enough to drive this.
12,000 euro's or about $13,600, you might as well buy a real car for that much.
These is so much nicer than the offtopic trump-bashing and democrat-bashing posts we've been getting.
It only works if everybody drives small cars.
This car is for driving on neighborhood streets at low speed. It is also focused on the non-American market, where people drive slower, shorter distances, and in smaller cars.
A car like this could work well in China, India, South-East Asia, Japan, and much of Europe.
If they are made available on-demand, like Ofo and Mobike do with electric scooters, this could be a really big deal.
Put on your cynic hat!
Once giant car companies slam their fists about safety features, and useful idiots who have no concerns of regulatory costs, and congressmen looking for political donations start raging threateningly, this already overpriced 12k Euro car goes to 20.
"Three wheels = motorcycle = get away with a lot less? No! The car companies cannot be allowed to slack on safety blah blah blah!"
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.