Elio Motors, The Next Big Thing?!!...

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by whatmaycome14

While the Elio is a fantastic option, I'd love to see a high-milage and low cost 4 or 5 passenger vehicle!

There are a variety of high mileage low cost 4 or 5 passenger cars, all made prior to 1985 :-)

A Subaru 360 is a 4 passenger car, gets 60mpg on the highway at lower speeds and would likely be capable of more with a bit of work, best of all you can buy one for $500+ and just need to put lots of labor into it to drive

Then there are also hondas and diesel vehicles of all sorts from prehistoric ages that get 50mpg+

[niky]

Originally Posted by Arragonis

Firstly the engine spec - 55hp from a 1.0 is pish poor - no, it really really is these days. E.g. the Toyota 1KRFE engine is 1.0 litres and has VVTI which means it pulls from low revs - I know, I used to drive one. It makes 68hp. It also happens to be the lightest car engine in the world. It was engine of the year a few years ago too. I doubt this specialist unit will make that.

We've finally gotten the KRFE here... not impressed. I like Mitsubishi's 1.2 better... and Suzuki's K10 offers much the same with better sound.

Also, 55 hp is peak horsepower, which doesn't matte rmuch. You will almost never get to the 6,000 rpm peak on a KR unless you're caning the ever-living daylights out of it... While an Aygo with the KR doesn't hit 60 mph in 10 seconds, this thing is supposed to do it in 10 seconds, and it's light enough that this is possible... so there's less reason to cane the motor.

-

I agree with everything else, though... the KRFE or K10 or any of a number of engines would serve here just as well. Any optimization would, in the end, probably shave just a few MPG off the top-end. Engine reprogramming and custom manifolds and/or cam grinds on a regular production motor would most likely achieve the same effect.

[Christopher Jordan]

If the Elio made it "big time" (adequate gearing/power) and sold millions; that good old "hot rodder" instinct will occur; pushing Elios to all sane limits. Somehow I suspect a future of "you wanna blown Mopar with headers and a 3/4 cam? That is option 7" ;-)

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

It would be cool if Elio would come with something like a road version of that Evinrude military multi-fuel outboard

Originally Posted by brucepick

As I see it, the first and most important reason to build their own engine is to NOT be at the whim and mercy of a supplier who has no interest in the long term survival of Elio Motors. That would remove every potential supplier who also provides engines for any major automotive manufacturer, US or overseas.

In this aspects, it makes me remember what happened to Gurgel here in Brazil. But in that case, when Gurgel started to use its own engine, it was seen as a threat by the 4 mainstream automakers which were Volkswagen (its former supplier of engines), Fiat, Ford and GM.

[whatmaycome14]

The Elio is on tour and coming to Richmond in December. I'll have to remember to take measurements of the engine compartment...

[NeilBlanchard]

There will be a turbo option, apparently.

Maybe they will show the P5 by December?

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by niky

We've finally gotten the KRFE here... not impressed. I like Mitsubishi's 1.2 better... and Suzuki's K10 offers much the same with better sound.

The main thrust of my point stands though, using custom made parts including the engine is a bad move, especially for a cheap-ish new car. The 1KR-FE is actually quite old, but still better than a 1 litre 55hp custom made unit in pretty much all respects. It can also be turbo'd.

Why bother making your own engine ?

[freebeard]

Why bother making your own engine ?

Because of what happened to Preston Tucker?

[jkv357]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Because of what happened to Preston Tucker?

Didn't he buy an existing aircraft engine company, then cancel all of the contracts they had so the engine would only be used in his cars?

Producing an engine is such a huge task, I'm not sure why they wouldn't secure one from a legitimate source. There are established companies out there that can consistently provide a proven powerplant.

Are they planning to build the transaxle too?

Their $6800 price-point continues to appear completely unrealistic to me.

[NeilBlanchard]

We need to remember that the $6,800 price is for the manual 5-speed. This is the USA - what is the typical ratio of manual-to-automatic shift cars are typically sold?

We do not know the price of the Elio with an automatic transmission. It may well be $1,000+ more than the base car. I think the manual shift is the loss leader. They will more than offset it with greater numbers of automatics.