New 2009 VW 1 liter concept car

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

To go trike they'd likely have to stick the rear wheels out on outriggers, Aptera style, and go with one wheel in the front... or totally start over to get a fwd layout. They may have gone with a four-wheel layout for political/marketing reasons- they want to classify it as a car and not a trike or motorcycle. VW has done concept and research trikes before; they must have decided they are in the car and not trike business.

Once upon a time in the far away hills of east Kentucky near West VA there was a time that instead of small 4-wheelers, the in thing was lots of three-wheel motorized "trikes". Many people got injured, and many got killed on them. Wow did the manufacture ever lose their paints on liability. It got so bad they pretty much stopped making the things and switched over to little 4-wheelers instead. Somewhere there is a lesson to be learn about the dangers of motorized 3-wheelers.

"I will not go into my Americans are pu**ies rant again"

OH how nice, a rant about all of the"stoopids" again. Just dandy! Oh, I am mistaken this time it's "Americans are pu**ies" this time. Yes spoken like a true red blooded American- you do live in America don't you? Boy if I lived here and hated so much about our laws and culture I think I might would move out of the country, at least I would be more likely to have health insurance when I have none whatsoever, and not by choice here. But to go there would be Un-American too I suppose.

Our Country Thanks You for not calling our people that -P- word that was censored. I have faith in Americans and feel more need to support this country and stop shouting it down- United we stand, divided it only gets worse. But, if you live in America many have died to give you the right to call Americans "stoopids" and now the nice little "P" word you have advised us of.

I am amazed how much you dislike the American people and American products/jobs. Do you live in our fair country, or are you throwing stones from a far? Because if the nation is so much against your ideas of what is smart, then I have to wonder if you live In America or some other country up north. - Of course Americans have freedom of speech, which is what I am practicing at this moment, pending on the rules of this private site.

Support the American Worker- Buy American!

[Frank Lee]

L M A O!!!

If people who think they need 5000lbs of steel and plastic to feel safe aren't pu**ies, then what are they?

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

L M A O!!!

If people who think they need 5000lbs of steel and plastic to feel safe aren't pu**ies, then what are they?

Frank, you REALLY do not want me to go there. The conversation would take an unpleasant turn and I'm not taking the bait.

I have been in one wreck, not my fault, and I had a lot of metal get crushed. I know paramedics that almost talked me out of buying s small sub-compact because they had countless stories of subcompacts containing people that were very injured or killed while the people in the pickup truck were fine and dandy. I do not believe these paramedics were pu**ies they were more informed than most people, they see life and death in auto crashes most everyday. I am nerviness about having a wreck in my car, so I keep that seat belt on fairly tight at the waste and I am thankful for the air balloons. But that does not mean it's any match for a full size pickup hitting me. Just watch some of those cop shows and see how many survive in the gas guzzlers and many do not fair so well in the sub-compacts. I have seen plenty of evidence, so all I can do is be aware of it and drive as safe as I can. I dread the day I ever have a serious wreck in this sub-compact, but I had to live within my means too.

Just ask a paramedic someday about the crashes they have seen. Most sub-compacts don't do so well, despite the high safety ratting, such as I have. Yes they are getting better, and 5000 pounds may be over-kill, but I for one would not wish to be HIT by 5,000 pounds in my little car!

[tasdrouille]

What were we talking about again? Oh yeah, a very efficient car. Please stick to the subject. We don't need that kind of conversation here. There's a PM feature when you feel the urge to respond to an individual in particular.

[NeilBlanchard]

Right, back on topic!

Q: which of these designs has the best compromise of light weight, good aerodynamics and efficiency, and structural integrity and crash worthiness?

VW 1L with tandem seating for 2 and a canopy entry at ~1100 pounds

Aptera 2e with side-by-side seating for 2 and scarab doors at ~1700 pounds

Loremo with back-to-back seating for 4 (smallish people/kids) and large hatch doors (front and rear) at ~1400 pounds

Or a theoretical vehicle like Gordon Murray's T25 with seating for 3 (driver center-front and the 2 passengers behind and flanking) and a single side door with multiple latches (to use the door as part of the structure) at 1000-1500 pounds

[robchalmers]

Neil, I'd probably go for the T25, gonna be interested to see more details when Gordo pulls his finger out!

you for got the Riversimple Clamshell door side-by-side seating, carbon tub, HYdrogen tank behind you. ~1100lbs


right not meaning to trend on the P***ies arguement. thought these might be of interest.

click

the L1 is stronger and more crash worthy than the Modi due to the carbon tub.

if you want to see what an NCAP 5star car does against an SUV
.

click

personally, I'd be happy driving the L1, not just supporting my company here, I had a friend who was near decapitated when a SUV side swiped her when she was in her EG Civic.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by tasdrouille

What were we talking about again? Oh yeah, a very efficient car. Please stick to the subject. We don't need that kind of conversation here. There's a PM feature when you feel the urge to respond to an individual in particular.

I agree with you, but I am an American who is proud of it and dislikes to be told Americans are (well I don't need to feel in the blank here). It's rather hard to not take that as a personal attack.

Otherwise I am more than happy to follow the rules, and in the future I will use the PM (of which I honestly just realized we have here).

Sorry.

[Jammer]

I found some interesting videos on the car I have- a Cobalt. Some tests look better than other ones. Please take a look at the VERY TOP YouTube Video, as I find it to be by far the best indicator of the safety of small cars vrs big trucks. The top video tests 13 small cars against what is the same as a full size SUV in a T-bone. I am lucky that the Cobalt was one of the very few that did the best, however the Insurance testing guy makes a point to say that NO SMALL CAR can perform as well in such a crash tests as the big SUVs can. Large SUVs are safer as said by the insurance tester below in the top video, especially on T-bone crashes. On frontal hits the small cars did better than the old small cars did, and people managed to walk away from such crashes because they were built better for such a crash. It's the SIDE CRASH that most small cars need to beef up- a lot.

THIS VIDEO MAKES MY POINT THE BEST. IT IS FOR "T-BONE" ACCIDENTS OF SMALL CARS AGAINST FULL SIZE TRUCKS. Read more about it below the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2DFvYQyM20

SO far this is the best video that makes my point. It tests 13 small cars, including a Saturn against what is the same as a full size truck smaching into them "T-Boned" by style by the FULL SIZE SUV replica. THE EXCEPTION IS THE TOYOTA, Hyundai Kia. AND last, but not least,THE CHEVY COBALT ALL 3 GOT GOOD STATS IF THEY HAD THE SIDE IMPACT AIR-BAGS INSTALLED. THE AIR-BAGS ON THE SIDE MADE THEM MUCH SAFER. The small cars with no side air bags were very unsafe when hit on their sides. HOWEVER THIS INSURANCE EXPERT DOES MAKE THE POINT THAT A SMALL CAR WILL NEVER FAIR AS WELL AS LARGER CARS AND TRUCKS BEING T-BONED. THE CHEVY COBALT WAS NAMED A "BEST PICK" AFTER IT PERFORMED SO WELL ON A CORNER STRIKE! (Wahoooo!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aBd3HG6PWo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL-bLW9yZoo

Based on this front end test, it would appear busted legs are likely, and perhaps a banged up head as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aE_6YFLFXs

I think the SIDE IMPACTS are my #1 worry of my car anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YPMBvTCG6Y

This one makes me feel safer in my Cobalt.

[MetroMPG]

I figured this thread would devolve into a "debate" about the safety of small vs large vehicles.

It would be better off if people would accept there's not much point in harping on about it. The level of built-in safety anyone is willing to accept is a personal call. What's unacceptable to one person may be perfectly fine for others.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

I figured this thread would devolve into a "debate" about the safety of small vs large vehicles.

It would be better off if people would accept there's not much point in harping on about it. The level of built-in safety anyone is willing to accept is a personal call. What's unacceptable to one person may be perfectly fine for others.

I see your point, and I am not disagreeing really...

But I have to ask if you have ever been in a serious crash, especially recently? See I am still having flashbacks from the last July when my brakes gave out and I ended up flipping over my pickup truck about 6 times. Believe me I was thinking of safety when I bought a sub-compact, and I almost never did buy a sub-compact because of my worry I could get killed easily in it. I am happy to read and find videos on YouTube that lead me to believe the car I got does have a fairly good safety record though. If only more small cars had side air bags we might not even be having this conversation.

Perhaps this VW car is made in such a way, which would be awesome. But so far, unless I skipped over it, I do not recall reading too much about it's safety or if it would be a car for bad weather or not. Don't get me wrong, I think it's awesome they can get that high of gas mileage, I really do. But to make it into a practice car for the general public to drive might greatly limit some of it's cool things.