Small-ish but not micro

[AndrewG]

This hardly fits any of the limits of a micro car, but then 50 years after most of the micros, people are so much bigger that any new micro has to be larger.  Add in that it's an American idea of micro, and it gets quite big (1000cc 3-cyl engine)

Elio Motors 

The layout is my favourite of front engine, front wheel drive 2F1R, so the balance should be good.

But I suspect this is one of those projects that will earn its creators a very nice living for a few years before they can no longer pretend that they can build a three-wheeler in the USA with airbags, ABS and aircon for $6,800.  But at least they'll have a good pension salted away from the investors' funds....

[Bob Purton]

I looked at there web site, its not untill you see people along side that you realise its quite a big car. Its a shame that these kind of projects rarely come to anything. The builders bristle with enthusiasm and make wild predictions, this guy recons he will be employing 1500 people by next year!

[AndrewG]

Its a shame that these kind of projects rarely come to anything. The builders bristle with enthusiasm and make wild predictions, this guy recons he will be employing 1500 people by next year!

I wonder if many of these projects actually come to just what their creators intended?  Bristling with enthusiasm is good for convincing investors that this is a sure-fire investment and that they need to fund it to the next stage - for which of course the creator needs to receive adequate recompense.  Getting that recompense may be all that the creator of the project really intended as an outcome.  I'm sure they show great remorse when the project doesn't work out - and, hey, the investors knew that it was a speculative investment, so who's the loser?

[Big Al]

Creating a saleable product is seriously tested if finance is required. It is always easier spending someone else's money. Committees are really good at doing that too. So a project based on outside finance can afford to dream up some silly numbers that sound great. Then the surprise that there is no interest, the figures do not add up or the financier demands considerably more of a stake in the project for his investment if he can see the germ of a good idea. The basis of The Dragon's Den program.
Base the project on your own hard earned money and progress on WCS figures to find that there is a potential sales market and you have very much more chance of an economic success. That might need finance but since it is a tight set of figures the scope to loose control of the project is greatly reduced.

I am sure there are folk out there attempting a sting but many more have deluded themselves with feathering their business plans with artificially soft figures not based on reality. That or a fundamentally undesirable product for some reason. Business is great fun but it is serious and getting it wrong can be expensive. It is easier to get it wrong than it is right. There have been some brilliant looking machines come up but nothing further happens. Others falter after attempting bravely to make, often because of underfunding or the need to sell product before its fully developed. If it were easy we would all be doing it. Sadly I fear it is getting more difficult.

[mharrell]

I looked at there web site, its not untill you see people along side that you realise its quite a big car.

No kidding.  It's enormous.

Add in that it's an American idea of micro....

Perhaps an American idea, but by no means the American idea of micro.  That thing's huge.

[Big Al]

It is big, but is it proportional as small as the Microcars of the '60's were to the standard saloons then? Cars just seem to get bigger over time. Hey ho.

[Chris Thomas]

Dear Andrew

Do we know what the engine is from? I say that as there are very few 3 cylinder 1000 cc engines about. My Honda being one of them

Chris Thomas

[Bob Purton]

Suzuki Alto?
Daihatsu?
Citoen C1?

[Chris Thomas]

Dear Bob

As I said there are very few 1000 cc 3 cylinder engines, I wonder which one drives this Elio car?

Chris Thomas

[AndrewG]

No idea on the engine source, but I'd look at Daihatsu - they provided the (660 turbo) engine/transmission for the Carver, so selling engines is clearly of interest to them.

[Bob Purton]

Yes, most likely a Japanise unit.  This car reminds me of the Hudson Spirit, at least from the front.

[marcus]

I like the Hudson Spirit, made a 2 seater too.
That new US car looks good to me. However it is getting to the size of a Suzuki Wagon (or similar) and a Wagon is more useful.