Another chopped car with better MPG: Metro convertible

[MetroMPG]

Someone sent a link to this car...

...I was impressed with the chop top and the "45 to 70 mpg" written on the gas cap. Dry lakes racers have known for many years chopping the top raisings a car's top speed, due to lowering its frontal area. It can also improve the gas mileage.

The back of the car simply says "60+ mpg".

You can see full size pics here:

Electric Dragin 2008

[MazdaMatt]

why draft with trucks, when you just drive right underneath them??

[aerohead]

Blind spots would be a little spooky,otherwise,it's a really good looking piece of work.And I would have no reason to dispute his/her mpg claims.Thanks for posting the pic!

[MetroMPG]

Phil: when you mentioned blind spots, I went back to the pics to see if he'd deleted his mirrors. Looks like he added smaller ones, but moved them half way back to the end of the door!

Maybe because he's forced to drive with his seat reclined for headroom, and that put his eyes too far away from the original mirrors?

Also bears mentioning: his CdA is probably only better with the top up. Al fresco, it all goes down the drain! (Though still better than original.)

[atomicradish]

I'm too tall for a car like that.

[DeadAt40]

No one can fit in a car chopped this radicaly, except the person who chops it or someone the exact same height. You have to pretty much build the entire car inside and out because adjustable seats and other similar amenities just won't fit. Blind spots are a serious concern, but lowering the drag ratio has drawbacks just like removing the Air conditioning. But as long as you drive with limited visibility in mind it becomes more of an inconvieniance than a safty isue.

[bbjsw10]

I enjoyed the "box" as well, pretty cool. Would like to chop my metro, but not alot of knowledge. Would only want to chop maybe 4" or so. The top just looks to high on the car.

[Johnny Mullet]

My mullet would get all frizzy.

[metromizer]

I love the look of the lowered roofline on that car, that's acually a "cute metro 'vert".

Don't get me wong, I almost bought one, I'd still drive one and may own one some day, but the OEM convertable body looks a little bit like a tennis shoe on wheels, to me.

[lunarhighway]

i think that's one of the main problems with todays cars, they're all to high. when i park, most "normal" cars are about 5 to 20 cm higher than mine wich was introduced in '88... forget suv's and mpv's, just normal cars sometimes smaller than mine.

Cd's will have to drop massively to compensate for that, and there's no sight that will happen without and aero revolution in the car sector.

given the original height of a metro i wonder how that thing remains drivable, but it looks wild!

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Johnny Mullet

My mullet would get all frizzy.

Haha! Well, we can't have that then.

Just noticed: the little car doesn't look lowered.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by lunarhighway

i think that's one of the main problems with todays cars, they're all to high.

I agree - but then, my idea of a car with proper ride height is something like a Porsche 914 or Lotus Europa :-)

[metromizer]

check out the Hudson boys Gen1 metro choptop...


there is a whole section on their website if you're interested
http://www.thehudsonboys.com/

[pawilkes]

the idea of getting a convertable of some type and making it areo has been floating around in my head a lot lately. you could remove the top and trunk and then make a very aerodynamic roof/tail for it. chopping the windshield would be relatively easy compaired to chopping the whole top and convertables don't depend on their roof for structural integrity. i would make a big hatchback so the trunk was still usable. although rather large, the new Solar has a pretty smooth transition from hood to windshield so i'd imagine it would work well but i was thinking along the lines of a Miata or metro

[bennelson]

I got to sit in a Tesla Roadster - now that's a low car!

I think chopped Metro's look cooler though!