>>>>>>>>>>
Ah yes I forgot you told me before you had a Mini Cooper. Curious - did you test drive the Fiat 500 before you got the Mini Cooper? I've driven both and liked the Mini a lot better - but I haven't tried one of the turbo Fiats.>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>I have driven nothing but Mini Coopers for the last 14 years :)
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Pure curiosity: Was the first one already one of Beamer production or did you get the bug by an english original ? (not implying Andy, but the earlier Rover/Austin cars...)
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>IMO one of the absurd things about the BMW mini is how big they have got. I used to regard my Volvo as a big car and it looks small next to some of the new minis.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>IMO the first new one was borderline, but the second new one is ridicolous to run as "Mini". Victor is correct in pointing out current security needs...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>If by "security" you mean crashworthiness, you don't necessarily need a large vehicle for that. From VW, their original 1-liter prototype:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_1-litre_car>>>>>>
>>>>>>"The body and frame are designed with crush/crumple zones and roll-over protection, and the tandem seating means large side crush zones. Volkswagen claims protection comparable to a GT racing car. The car has anti-lock brakes, airbags with pressure sensors, and stability control." - in a car that weighed 290kg empty.
>>>>>
>>>>>This has tandem seating too
https://www.eliomotors.com/ I have one of these on order - hoping to see it later this year.
>>>>
>>>>They've got the right idea - they just need to add one more wheel.
>>>
>>>naaahh - don't need it. But heck, 84mpg and $6,800 brand new with warranty. Sold!
>>
>>If three wheelers were any good the big boys would all make them. I seriously doubt any of them could complete a lap around any major manufacturer's proving grounds at anything more than granny speed.
>>
>>Ask yourself - could Ken Block do this in any three wheeler:
>>
>>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuDN2bCIyus>>
>>Just skip to 5:40 if you don't want to watch the whole thing.
>>
>>The only hits you get on YouTube for "rally 3 wheel car" is footage where a wheel comes off a 4-wheel car. Why doesn't anyone rally them? Rhetorical question; they'd be Darwin Award contenders.
>>
>>Yeah, rally is extreme - but it's a great example of performance at the limit. Even normal drivers need that kind of performance on occasion. It can be the difference between life and death.
>>
>>If you end up with an Elio be cautious driving it. You try to drive it like an X1/9 or a Europa and you're gonna hurt yourself. Also don't hit potholes, curbs etc. at any kind of speed.
>
>The Elio isn't a sports car for sure. As for potholes and such I don't see that being any bigger problem than any other car - EXCEPT that with the 3rd wheel in the center like that, you're going to hit every pothole. But for a commuter car it seems like a real winner to me. I've seen plenty of videos of the Elio driving (even in the snow). Seems fine to me. Compared to an X1/9 or an Europa its going to be a lot safer too.
>I have to say that almost everyone I talked to about the Elio is quite skeptical. Many don't think it'll make it to production (it will), think it's too unsafe (it is not) , or (my favorite) than it will tip over when you go around a corner lol lol (it's less tippy than a mini-van or a jeep or any other high profile vehicle) and of course people seem to have a problem with the front suspension pieces exposed like that.
>It would be nice to be able to drive from LA to NY on roughly 30 gallons of gas. At a cost of only $6,800 and 84mpg - how long before the car would actually pay for itself? For a lot of people in just a year or two it would be like getting the car for free because of the $ you'd save on gas. I mean the thing would pay for itself before the warranty even ran out on it haha
My father had a three wheeler (Reliant Robin) as a second car many years ago. As a teenager I hated it. Also (probably not a problem in Hawaii) driving in snow the single wheel is in the mound of snow between the tracks created by all the four wheel cars which is not helpful.
