seti Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/07/laugh-at-high-g.html It looks more like a covered motorcycle but at 235MPG who gives a flip. I'd drive one. Apparently VW didn't think it would be viable until 2012 but now they are planing a 2010 production date. Not sure I would feel safe on our highways but given the gas price trends US cars are shrinking already. Tiny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Wow, that's wild. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IB Slammin Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Ya know, I see things like that and they look cool. The MPG is great, but then I consider pulling onto the hwy. Not so much concerned with crash protection, as much as I am with a 0 to 60mph time of ........40 days and 40 nights.......... Just wonder how safe that is..... tc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sputnik Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Looks like the car that Woody Allen drove in Sleeper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 Messerschmitt made lots of tandem-seating cars like that in the 1950s and early 1960s. They make that VW look big. See: http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GFRD_enCA205CA205&q=Messerschmitt+car+pictures&um=1&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title And: http://www.webshots.com/search?query=messerschmitt+car And: http://www.flickr.com/photos/42057291@N00/2580690623/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted July 5, 2008 Share Posted July 5, 2008 This volvo is pretty hot... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 pretty cool little guy. better mileage than a vespa, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted July 6, 2008 Author Share Posted July 6, 2008 An advanced Bobsled? I still want one LOL..... With its 235 mpg fuel economy, it can travel 400 miles on its 1.7 gallon fuel tank…all the while achieving a 75 mph top speed. With the VW 1-Liter, VW engineers showed that safety doesn’t have to becompromised to obtain ultra light weight. The 639 pound carincorporates advanced safety features including a deformable front end,an impact tolerant spaceframe, and racing car-like roll-overprotection. It also has anti-lock braking, electronic stability program(ESP), and a driver’s airbag. All it needs now, from our perspective,is a quick path to market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 This volvo is pretty hot... Is that her name? BTW, that 235 mpg volkswagon appears to be impeding traffic.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted July 6, 2008 Author Share Posted July 6, 2008 This volvo is pretty hot... Is that her name? BTW, that 235 mpg volkswagon appears to be impeding traffic.... That pic is from a media event. The head of VW was making a 230 mile trip to proveit could make the trip on 1 liter. If you notice all the vehicles behind it are VW.... Since gas has gone up in price my driving habits have changed. If I don't have to get somewhere at a certain time I don't break 60 on the HWY. Slow lane or gas saving lane lol... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 Volvo.. car, what car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 Honda's going backwards. The new 2008 Accord is nearly a full-sized vehicle and the mileage is worse than before. In 30 years I've been driving Hondas their mileage has remained around 30mpg. I'm ready for a NEW adventure next time.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 There has to be something else to this vehicle for that much milage like electric motor, batteries, solar cells. You can't get 235 mpg with a 639 lb car on gas. It's a violation of the laws of physics. The smallest bikes only get 100 mpg with 150 cc engines. It's the same nonsense with the other Aero vehicle that gets 300 mpg and of course it had batteries and electric motor and it was in fact an electric car with a small gasolene motor. The higher the price of gas goes so goes the amount of baloney in the sandwich. JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted July 6, 2008 Author Share Posted July 6, 2008 There has to be something else to this vehicle for that much milage like electric motor, batteries, solar cells. You can't get 235 mpg with a 639 lb car on gas. It's a violation of the laws of physics. The smallest bikes only get 100 mpg with 150 cc engines. It's the same nonsense with the other Aero vehicle that gets 300 mpg and of course it had batteries and electric motor and it was in fact an electric car with a small gasolene motor. The higher the price of gas goes so goes the amount of baloney in the sandwich. JJK This was already proved in Germany. The head of VW drove with a media caravan on 1 Liter with out stopping. It is small, slow, lightweight, and only carries 1 liter of fuel. The engine is only 8.5hp if I read correctly. I wouldn't hit the Autobah [:|] I don't expect to ever see this in the US. What is coming to America is the VW TDI Hybrid. VW has combined a turbocharged 75 HP 3-cylinder diesel, a 27 HP electric motor with a trunk-mounted NiMH battery, and a 7-speed DSG. The result should be an average of 3.4L/100km (69 mpg). The VW is capable of driving either totally on electric or diesel power (or obviously a combination of both). A stop/start system shuts down the engine when sitting in city traffic. And to further charge the batteries there is a regenerative braking system. http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/03/revealed-volksw.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauln Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 Would this be a good deal at $40K+? Let's find out... I already have a nice VW that gets 44mpg on the highway. For 11K miles a year that's 250 gallons, so at $4/gallon that's $1000/year. The new VW at 235mpg for 11K miles per year would be about 47 gallons, at $4/gallon that's $188/year. So I would svae $812/year, and the breakeven point would be $40k/(1000-188)= 49 years?!! Not for me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted July 6, 2008 Author Share Posted July 6, 2008 I agree with you that we would save more money in the long run by driving a Golf TDI. That is until the prices of these hybrids start dropping which will eventually happen. The important thing to me is that car companies are now trying. You always pay more to be on the cutting edge but eventually the cutting edge trickles down to the rest of us. I have noticed in the parking lot at work that the amount of large vehicles and suvs are dwindling. Living in Arkansas people love their monster sized vehicles. Many are trading in trucks and suvs for 4cyl cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 So I would svae $812/year, and the breakeven point would be $40k/(1000-188)= 49 years?!! Not for me... I think a lot of folks don't do the math on things like this. Someone can keep driving a gas guzzling beater for quite a while if it is already paid for, and still feel like he is doing ok.The hybrids aren't helping a whole lot. I want to see a car with a diesel powered generator running the electrics. The diesel would be optimized for the load of the generator. It should be way more efficient. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 I am not interested until I can get 237 MPG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungkiman Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 Honda does have some ideas, but I know not what they were thinking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted July 6, 2008 Author Share Posted July 6, 2008 Honda does have some ideas, but I know not what they were thinking... Dude that is cooool ! ! ! I want one. Wonder what they call that. The Elevator. The VW 1L is going to start at $40K but if it does go into full production the price would be much lower. The initial 1000 will be made in their prototype factory and have a $40K price tag. It is going to take the American car companies along time to catch up with alternative designs but it is never too late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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