It looks like it should have pedals or use your feet like Fred Flinstone.

 

Nobody has answered what kind of engine might be in these critters so the blower question is shooting a little high there Adam

What can you pick these up brand new for (after haggling), do they have options like leather, optional interior trim, etc? I ought to look for their site and find out if they allow you to build one online. Any pics of the interior? What is the official name for these cars? Is there an aftermarket for these and are you able to mod them performance wise?

OUCH, Zap claims the Americanized versions will be in the "$25,000 range" I will NOT be getting one. If they were around 6-8k I'd think about it. Well nah, my gas bills aren't that high.

 

They were driving one on the Today Show this morning. They claimed they would be around $15K which seems crazy to me. There are plenty of other vehicles that may not get 60mph, but are cheaper, and you can actally take a brief case along...

Somewhere on one of the links I read they would be using a Mercedes 4-banger...

 

3 cylinder, ~700cc turbocharged gas engine producing 50, 61 and 75 hp.
Gas engine only (for now) in the US, but still gets nearly 70 mpg highway and 46 mpg city. Little bugger will do 85 mph. You can even get air conditioning

 

Yup, just flop the tailgate down and you're good to go.

 

Thats nice but there is nobody in it.....

You could crash alot of cars or trucks @ 70mph with nobody in it and get the same results.......

 

While it is a debatable issue as to what kind of injuries one might sustain in an accident like that the real question in any accident concerning a vehicle is how well did the “cage” hold up.

The “cage” is known as the area where passengers occupy. In many of today’s auto accidents you would think no one could walk away from some of them by ONLY looking at the vehicle.

Fact is vehicles are designed to have crush zones. Not like the 50, 60 or 70’s where if you hit someone doing 60mph there was some bent fenders but that was about it other then major injuries to people inside the vehicle due to very little CRUSH zone.

I have to say I am very impressed at a REAL world test, the video of the car crashing into a cement block, and how well that vehicle stood up, or more specifically how well the “cage” looks. The fact that the passenger door still opens and closes is something that should be viewed seriously…

I highly doubt even then new 04, 05 and 06 F150 would come away with such terrific results if they were crashed head on into a cement block at 70mph…

$15,000 is way to steep for me to ever think about purchasing one. If they were perhaps in the $6,000 - $8,000 range I might seriously think about it. It would be great to have something like that for the weekdays and then have the Mustang for the weekends. It would be great seeing gas prices drop to somewhere around $1 a gallon if the majority of people owned one of these things for regular commutes to work…

 

quote "OAW . . . you're really USAFPATRIOT1, aren't you."

hey guys - i may be a little rough and opinionated but i'm not that extreme.

the reason i jumped all over that crash test is becuase i am an engineer. the only thing i believe is data. i don't buy any "it looks good" or " i think that it will hold up"

show me the data. plain and simple.

if the US does its standard crash test and it comes out good (4-5 stars), then i will gladly admit i am impressed and i was wrong becuase i originally called it a "death trap" based on my knowledge of past crash ratings of small cars. but until i see some "stars" and some test data, don't say its a safe car because you can't back up that claim.


see ya - oaw

 

who ever is Thinking about seriously buying one of these "SMART" cars needs there Head Examined (no joking)

 

I bet SMART cars don’t rattle nearly as much as all the Fords you have owned…

 

That's what they've been saying in Europe, too. This car has not been a hit. More of a curiosity if anything. Of course, there's no accounting for the French.

 

While I agree with “data” since I have an engineering background myself you are well aware that “data” comes in all forms with “visual” being one of those forms. It’s not merely numbers, symbols, and pretty spreadsheets…

 

Yes you can. It'll still cost you 20 quid; and, a room will be necessary.

 

Im no engineer( ) but comparing how the smart car did hitting an imovable object,compared to how my 01 screw would do,I think the smart car did better considering it bounced off the barracade cuz of its weight.My truck would have released all its energy into the wall cuz of its weight.Which means the jaws of life couldnt separate me from the drivers seat and the engine.That smart car bounced off which meant the energy from the speed/weight was redirected .Tho the initial impact measured in g's would be the same in both vehicles,the smart car ricochet'ed(spelling?) instead of depositing all it's energy into the wall.Which is what kept the "cage" intact.

 

I know these won't go over to well here in Texas; There is no room for a cowboy hat.

Also with so many soccer moms driving 7-9 seater suv's to take their one (1) child (I know this because they all have their child's name and activity on the back window. All I know is that in 20 years Texas will be overun with Taylor's, Hunter's and Chase's) to practice while talking on the phone, screaming at the kid, screaming at the other drivers, putting on make-up and drinking Starbucks; I wouldn't even stand a chance in a parking lot with one of those Smart cars.

Oh yeah, I'd get one so my friends wouldn't want me to drive all the time.