What car would you CREATE?

[wanderlost]

I would start from the ground up with an aluminum frame 4 wheel independent suspension and motorcycle wheels.
Power would be delivered to the rear from a turbocharged 3 cylinder kabota diesel running on bio diesel connected to a CVT / Torque converter for the transmission and a hi-lo gearbox with reverse (essentially the drive train of a hotrod tractor)
The body would be built from aluminum and carbon fiber. It would be .shaped allot like an insight crossed with a VW beetle.
It would be a 2 seater with simple creature comforts like heat and a radio.
In low range with the engine in the rear it should be pretty capable off the beaten path. In high range the diesel would be able to run just above idle at 55mph (assuming everything was geared correctly )
Gas mileage should be greater than 50-60 mpg and using veggie oil from local restaurants to make my own bio diesel I would save money (and the environment )

[sidecar]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

It's changing, but at a very slow pace. It actually does surprise me that liquid-cooling engines didn't become popular for general aviation, since they can provide heating for the cab without having to use any fuel-powered supplementary heater, and can be better enclosed to protect the block from thermal shock damage at a fast descending. The only general aircraft with a liquid-cooled engine that I remember right now is the Piper Archer DX.

I guess the same engine manufacturers have a fairly good grip on their market, but business isnt interesting enough to acquire new entrants. So much depends on engine choice that the rest of the design is pretty much formulaic. A horizontal opposed engine suits the narrow 42" width cabin with side by side seating, indeed the weights of everything else can be plotted out from there.

Even the range, 20% of AUW for fuel, the burn is a known, the wing area and therefore total skin drag, and from that speed envelope. It creates a totally static design, nonetheless safe environment, but its way out of kilter with the times.

[sidecar]

Its interesting what lights people up with an open topic like this, and I see many looking toward not only innovative drive packages but the body design as well, I guess Im no exception. Where the job would be so much shorter a journey if more use was made of existing resources.

I remember the period before there were many electric cars about, designers renditions came up with many odd and fantastic shapes, where in reality a production car wouldn't really be ostensibly that much different from existing cars, and for all the same reasons. Method and cost of production, expected run length, application of safety etc. And the cars revealed over the last 5-10 years prove this to be right.

I remember the Africar, which was a plywood car with 2CV like (or donor) suspension. There's a somewhat similar flat pac project right now called the OX. Although these are utility vehicles, open or roadster cars are really so much easier and quicker to put together, perhaps something like an old Can Am car, Lola body or duplicate which could be built foam fiberglass vacuum bag infused panels made on a flat table.

Indeed, in so many ways the music for your song is already out there, so theres less need to recreate your sand cast magnesium aluminum wheel.

My message is, if you wanted to build the entire car body, you would be wise to think about how you would go about that. I think you will find that the akin technologies for amateur boat builders and aeroplane construction would offer some useful lessons.

Stewarts Lola T260 sports car

[WindyDrew]

Originally Posted by Shortie771

I've had the design and parts figured out for this for a long time, but not enough time or money to spare...

Purpose: DD around town
Basis: Built from ground up. Steel space frame/fiberglass body
Engine: Dual Agni 95 DC motors
Transmission: None... sprocket and chain
Drivetrain: READ
Modifications: Reverse trike (2-seat tandem), front steering from junkyard car (smart car?) with the rear half of a motorcycle.
Expected Mileage: 300+mpg
Expected Cost: 10k-15k

Even factoring in the cost of changing the lithium batteries when they die, it still costs less than $0.03/mile to drive

Pulse autocycle!

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by wanderlost

The body would be built from aluminum and carbon fiber. It would be .shaped allot like an insight crossed with a VW beetle.[br]It would be a 2 seater with simple creature comforts like heat and a radio.

detached pontoon fenders:



boat tail strategies with stock fenders



tandem 2-seater

Originally Posted by sidecar

I think you will find that the akin technologies for amateur boat builders and aeroplane construction would offer some useful lessons.

See the boat tails above? Doped fabric over wood ribs, or basalt fiber composites. Howard Hughes 3D plywood:



In addition to the Africar and OX there was the Inrekor flat-pack Beetle chassis:



Without their proprietary manufacturing widgets, this would be one-off-able with modern race car chassis techniques (see Autospeed).

Edit: The 2CV rocker-arm suspension:

[Shortie771]

Originally Posted by WindyDrew

Pulse autocycle!

Not quite. What I was thinking looks closer to an Elio, but without the exposed front suspension and tapers from the outside of the front wheels, towards the rear.

[WindyDrew]

Originally Posted by Shortie771

Not quite. What I was thinking looks closer to an Elio, but without the exposed front suspension and tapers from the outside of the front wheels, towards the rear.

I'm going to modify mine to get rid of the training wheels and go with 2 steering wheels​. So more of a tadpole. It should be very aerodynamic and thinking it will only need a small engine, but I'm thinking 1500 Goldwing engine would make it a powerhouse and still get 50-100mpg.

[Bicycle Bob]

Originally Posted by RustyLugNut

What they failed at was the advertising value was nearly nil as public exposure was minimal. Teams such as Tesla pulled out because of this. For most teams, that was the only reason to enter.

Vehicles such as the EdisonX and Aptera may have gotten traction from unknown sources if there had been much more exposure. Several designs in the 2 and 4 seat classes respectively, had marketable platforms.

I followed this closely, and was darn glad I hadn't entered when they started tinkering seriously with the rules after it began. That's the kiss of death for an innovator. Colin Chapman refused to ever return to Le Mans after they said his much-modified 22 only fit the letter of the rules, not the spirit.

[sidecar]

Originally Posted by WindyDrew

I'm going to modify mine to get rid of the training wheels and go with 2 steering wheels​. So more of a tadpole. It should be very aerodynamic and thinking it will only need a small engine, but I'm thinking 1500 Goldwing engine would make it a powerhouse and still get 50-100mpg.

more aerodynamic than a bike so likely better

did you mean front wheels like the following.



This was an industrial design student final exam concept model based on Norton Commando. The students name was Simpson but I dont recal much else. Its an up and down tandem but the rear was very cramped. 1/2 wheel steer and proper looking wheel spats.

this might be a handy resource in working with mc engines:

Total Motorcycle Fuel Economy Guide in MPG and L/100km

[freebeard]

I like the fender. I was trying for that with my Very Light Volkswagen (I'll spare you the drawing).

I would just add a [filleted] canard moustache to the inside of the lower front edge.

That's an interesting periscope/ventilator setup on the bubble top. Not sure about the door cut-line.