A new future for automaking?

One of the reasons I've never felt the desire to own a car is that I feel it's wasteful. So much steel, so many work-hours, so heavy, so big. Too much to spend on a single person.

With the miniaturized cars that have been coming along bringing a more sensible approach to personal vehicles, I still felt disappointed that little has been done to rethink the materials used.

And then this comes along...

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I am.... hmm... excited, I suppose.

 

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According to the designer, cutting down on weight is the most powerful way to fight emissions.

Linkity link
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/0... wired/index (Wired: Index 3 (Top Stories 2))

 

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Might as well drive one of these because that "car" is about the same size as a coffin.

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From a design perspective, I like it. But in reality, it's just another way to hold on to our precious cars in spite of overwhelming forces making that a flawed enterprise which will only lead to our collapse.

 

Only because people don't care if they kill you or not.

I'd just drive that car, like I ride a motorcycle. Assuming everyone wants to kill me. That way you never get into an accident.

 

Te Reality check is, in many parts of North America, cars/vehicles are still necessary.

 

How much is that car anyway. I like the idea of the smart car but it's way too much money.

 

I doubt a three seat car (Gordon Murray seems to always build 3 seat cars, see the McLaren F1), will ever be a big seller as we tend to socialize in pairs.

In what way?
It's a steel framed car like every other steel frame car.
Big deal, it has plastic panels.

Don't be.
It's just a design.
And it has been around for over a year, but no one has signed up to actually make them.

http://www.gordonmurraydesign.com/news.php

Now of course THIS car is available today:

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http://www.smartusa.com/models/pure-coupe/overview.aspx

It's just a two seater and gets 33 mpg city and 41 highway and a warranty for two years or 24,000 miles and costs ~$15,440

http://www.smart.com/is-bin/INTERSH...te/en_EN/-/USD/Smart_CC-Overview?d=true&rurl=

This car is also available today, and for a tiny bit less then the previous car:

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The 2012 model at a base price of $14,995, it has 4 seats and luggage, gets 27 mpg city and 36 highway and comes with a 100,000 mile or 10 year warranty.

Arthur

 

Sounds like an updated version of Saturn. Which sucked big-time.

Seems like a motorcycle would be even better and cheaper, for most of the people this would appeal to.

 

That's an artificial reality, it's not intrinsic to living in North America.

 

I'll just put this here:

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The Tango electric car.

 

Hardly:

The first model is the luxury Tango T600, costing roughly US$108,000. Premium features partially offset the high cost of the early kit vehicles, which are outfitted with a leather-lined interior and a hefty Alpine sound system. The T200 model is expected to be eventually released at $40,000, while the T100 is expected with a $19,000 price tag. Both of these higher-production models remain to be developed and are awaiting funding

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commuter_Cars_Tango

 

It is intrinsic to our Suburban lifestyle and since that's where our houses and supporting infrastructure (stores, schools, hospitals etc) have been built and our houses last for a very long time, that's where we will be for a long time.

 

Yeah, that's the problem, not what kind of car we have to drive to sustain the unsustainable.

 

I'm just saying, it's not a new concept.

 

No it's not.
But until a car company can make one of those small two seaters a lot more competitive than a car like the Hyundai Accent I just can't see them selling in any quantity.

Comparing the Accent to the Smart car they cost the same but the Smart car only holds 2 people, zip luggage and only gets a bit better gas mileage, and the Accent comes with a 10/100,000 mile warranty vs the tiny 2 year/24,000 mile warranty of the Smart car.

Someone driving the Accent 12,000 miles per year, at $4/gal for gas is going to pay just $15 more than the Smart car, and $15 a month is cheap for so much more car.

Arthur

 

Nah, people don't want to commute in the rain and in the winter on motorcycles.
Ever notice how few you see on the road in the dead of winter?

People want a car with 4 wheels and 4 seats and luggage space.
Go below that and your market shrinks dramatically.

 

Car is a necessity and not anymore a mark of social status