Slashdot Mirror
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.
The original opened the whole chassis forwards and had no reverse gear. Presumably all the original drivers starved to death after driving into their garage.
“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...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_1-litre_car
It was a modern version of exactly this concept that would go 100KM on a litre of diesel, hence the name - Euro "mileage" is expressed as liters of fuel used per 100km so 1l/100km. This is an equivalent US mileage of 240mpg.
The car itself had modern safety standards and good visibility, but was never mass produced, due in no small part to the cost, though the per unit costs would have fallen considerably if it was mass produced.
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
As to how safety standards can be met: EU has a safety category for light 4-wheel vehicles known as "quadricycles." They have to meet the same (lax) safety standards as three-wheel motorbikes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
No need for a complex design. Hell, retirees down in Florida have crazy pimped-out golfcarts already. No need to reinvent the wheel.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
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.
It was great fun. The front opening door was really practical - you drove up to the kerb, front on, and us kids got out safely. Visibility was great - although large trucks might find it hard to see you. Mostly it was driven under the same rules as a motor bike. Had a motorbike type gear change as well, but the Heinkel had a reverse gear, I believe the Isetta did not. I think they should not be allowed on motorways though.
A friend of mine had a Messerschmidtt (the car, not the fighter) - not nearly as good, and much less safe. Electric is definitely preferable to a 1950's 2-stroke engine in almost any way you can imagine.
Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
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.
is already a bubble car with 200hp. No need for smaller as it serves both as a tiny car and easy parking and I can drive it comfortably for 1000km and have power to have fun.
by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
12,000 euro's or about $13,600, you might as well buy a real car for that much.
Solutions: better collision avoidance (autobrake) tech on cars, and better driver training. And don't be so cowardly -- it's still safer than a bicycle or motor-scooter. Driving need not be an arms race, unless you want suburbanite hausfraus getting Unimogs because OMG, an 18-wheeler might hit you and think about the cheeeeeeldren.
If the car breaks down, you can carry it home.
Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
It's Steve Urkel's clown car!
Tiny "neighborhood cars" with electric motors, for driving around the neighborhood, are common in many areas. They are called "golf carts".
I understand it is not a sports car but 90 km/h is ridiculous for a grownup's car today. A good portion of my daily commute is done on road with a 110 km/h speed limit. And I am not even talking about highways, where that car may not even be legal.
A car like the Smart Fortwo is barely larger but it is at least capable of highway speeds, which means it can be used to access any kind of road safely.
It's about the height of a normal car -- if you can't see it from a Camry, you won't see a child crossing the street either. Turn in your license until you can go for an eye exam. Or at least turn off the cell phone and stop browsing Facebook while driving.
These is so much nicer than the offtopic trump-bashing and democrat-bashing posts we've been getting.
Ever see a F150 get hit by a dump truck? That's why I drive one! My average Dump Truck is way bigger. Finding parking though is a bitch.
Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
...I predict most buyers will consider this car to be too unsafe, or too small, or too under-powered.
If 95% of Americans agree and won't buy one ... that's still sales over 300,000 per year.
Which is the sales of the Honda Accord.
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.
Only a fool pays for fossil fuel cars anymore. Electric cars use 1/2th the maintenance expense, and in most of the West cost 1/10th the cost to fuel.
There's your bubble. It's a bubble caused by reliance on grandpa's kerosene fueled Model T.
Wake up and smell the clean green 2020 world that gave up on your carbon intensive and expensive tax-subsidized lifestyle, gramps!
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
" One wonders how it could meet any kind of safety standards, "
Easy, no side windows and it's a Quad. Just like the electric Renault Twizy.
And the driver's legs are the impact crumple zone.
Consider it motivation to drive defensively instead of like a rage-aholic asshole.
"You want to know how to help your kids? Leave them the fuck alone." -George Carlin
Even a hatchback or small wagon works fine for going up a mountain. You can even tow a light camping or utility trailer with many cars. Besides, how much "stuff" do you need for a camping trip anyway? If you're going to be hiking, may as well stick to what you can carry in a backpack without your spine failing.
Like the original Isetta this car has four wheels. The wheels in the rear axle are more closely spaced than in the front axle. That's why it looks like a three wheeler in some of the pictures. See a diagram here: https://www.micro-mobility.com...
So if this is unsafe, I assume you are thoroughly opposed to motorcycles going faster than 15mph?
Ever seen a regular dump truck get hit by a Belaz 75710? That's why I drive one! Finding parking is fucking easy, I just run over everything and just stop wherever I want.
#DeleteFacebook
You don't need to find a parking spot with a dump truck. Just bring some traffic cones and block off an area like it is going to be under construction. Bonus points for bringing one of the construction barriers with the blinking orange light. No cop is going to give a ticket when they think someone is doing emergency road repair.
Reading code is like reading the dictionary - you have to read half of it before you can go back and understand it.
Mom's don't 'like to drive', they just need all the seats within easy smacking reach.
These 'cars' are just restyled minivans. No ground clearance, open diffs, AWD at best.
How many hatches do you want? The real hot hatch is what's hard to come by. I miss CRXs.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
Nothing wrong with a smart car a Hayabusa engine doesn't fix!
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'