YACT: Super-minimalist cars

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: z0mb13

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: z0mb13
one of my profs back in berkeley had one of those one passenger electric cars..

I dunno what its called

Was it a Sparrow?

How long ago was this? I don't remember seeing something like that on campus...

yes it was this car! but the color was orange/red ish

and it was an EECS professor, I saw it parked in the parking structure near soda hall

and this was probably 3 years ago

Ah, I would have been in the area, but spent my time on campus around Evans

 

[z0mb13]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: z0mb13

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: z0mb13
one of my profs back in berkeley had one of those one passenger electric cars..

I dunno what its called

Was it a Sparrow?

How long ago was this? I don't remember seeing something like that on campus...

yes it was this car! but the color was orange/red ish

and it was an EECS professor, I saw it parked in the parking structure near soda hall

and this was probably 3 years ago

Ah, I would have been in the area, but spent my time on campus around Evans

I had some classes in evans 10 as well.. what major were u? math?

 

[Jumpem]

Miata Sports are pretty minimalist as far as mass-produced cars go.

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: TheLonelyPhoenix
As cool as some of those "minimalist" style cars are, I'd rather buy a motorcycle if I really wanted something like that.

Edit: And how on Earth do you call an S2000 minimalist?!

Well, I like having at least an exo-skeleton around me...and since it's a car, no helmet

An S2000 is minimalist, but not super-minimalist

Any accident over 35 mph, and you're liquified anyway, so who cares?

And the S2000 may be a lightweight roadster, but that's a far cry from the Atom, which is basically an engine, two seats, a steering wheel, and brakes.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: z0mb13

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: z0mb13

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: z0mb13
one of my profs back in berkeley had one of those one passenger electric cars..

I dunno what its called

Was it a Sparrow?

How long ago was this? I don't remember seeing something like that on campus...

yes it was this car! but the color was orange/red ish

and it was an EECS professor, I saw it parked in the parking structure near soda hall

and this was probably 3 years ago

Ah, I would have been in the area, but spent my time on campus around Evans

I had some classes in evans 10 as well.. what major were u? math?

Nope. Econ.

In Evans, we stuffed the math guys in the basement

 

[z0mb13]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: z0mb13

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: z0mb13

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: z0mb13
one of my profs back in berkeley had one of those one passenger electric cars..

I dunno what its called

Was it a Sparrow?

How long ago was this? I don't remember seeing something like that on campus...

yes it was this car! but the color was orange/red ish

and it was an EECS professor, I saw it parked in the parking structure near soda hall

and this was probably 3 years ago

Ah, I would have been in the area, but spent my time on campus around Evans

I had some classes in evans 10 as well.. what major were u? math?

Nope. Econ.

In Evans, we stuffed the math guys in the basement

lol the snotty econ majors.. I remember I needed to take econ 1 for my GE studies, but I had to file a petition since so many students wanted to take it.. ended up taking econ 2 instead

 

[b0mbrman]

Heh heh. That's econ for non-majors, right?

Makes sense

 

[Shawn]

looks fun

 

[Martin]

Another british company that makes these kinds of cars: Radical
http://www.radicalextremesportscars.com/index.php

They had a Radical Sr3 on TG a while ago (Fifth Gear also had one). Its as fast as the atom in that vid, did the lap in 1:19.5 or so. They're street legal as well, but I don't know if you can get them in the US.

 

[b0mbrman]

Gosh...why are the British so much cooler than us in this sense?

Hey, there's a lot of Miata-owners on this forum...What would happen if I got an early 90s model, removed all bodywork and extraneous parts, and fitted it with an all-over scaffolding type roll cage?

Basically it would be an atom without all the import fees...and the cost...and most of the power/handling/sex...

Has some other idiot tried this before?

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman
Gosh...why are the British so much cooler than us in this sense?

Americans love their SUVs too much to get stuff as cool as that.

 

[Martin]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
Ariel Atom w/ supercharged Civic Type R engine @ 300 HP. the shots of Jeremy Clarkson driving the "merely" 220 HP model with his cheeks flapping wildly in the wind as his head is slammed back into the headrest are pretty awe-inspiring.

/end of thread. period.


no, really. end of thread.

What if you were to put a 350HP V8 on a car like that?
Radical

 

[Martin]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman
Gosh...why are the British so much cooler than us in this sense?

Hey, there's a lot of Miata-owners on this forum...What would happen if I got an early 90s model, removed all bodywork and extraneous parts, and fitted with an all-over scaffolding type roll cage?

Has some other idiot tried this before?

It seems you CAN get these cars in the US.

http://www.radicalextremesportscars.com/disties.php

 

[amgkid]

actually you can take a miata, strip it, and turn it into a caterham/lotus seven replica
Text

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: amgkid
actually you can take a miata, strip it, and turn it into a caterham/lotus seven replica
Text

Sorta...I've seen the video for that build and he made an entirely new body from the ground up, then just transplanted some of the Miata's guts into there

Here's the company that sells the kit - Text

 

[UNCjigga]

Are Noble's minimalist?

 

[cavemanmoron]

not in the USA,
if they can not apss crash test.

You want a small car,
look for a 1972 or so Honda,

we used to call them a Japanese rollerskate.

http://www.war-eagles-air-museum.com/exhibits/72-honda_1.jpg

 

[sniperruff]

Originally posted by: UNCjigga
Are Noble's minimalist?

i'd say it's a stripped out sports car, as is the Evo8 RS and lotus elise. you can choose to have nothing installed in them and probably rip out the carpet and parts of the dash and the seats.

but the caterham and the ariel are totally stripped out with almost no options for comfort. oh yeah the caterham is legal in the states.

as for safety, fifth gear ran a crash test of the smart fortwo versus a mercedes E class. the smart smashed up the mercedes like a comet and destroyed a quarter of the car, while the smart's chassis remained intact.

 

[b0mbrman]

Woah. Look at this list of Lotus 7 clone-makers I found on The Car Lounge

CATERHAM - http://www.caterham.co.uk
WESTFIELD - http://www.westfield-sportscars.co.uk/
TIGER - http://www.tigerracing.co.uk/
DAX- http://www.daxcars.com
Robin Hood engineering - http://www.robinhoodengineering.co.uk/
Deanfield - http://www.deanfieldmotorsport.com/
MAC#1 - http://www.mac1motorsports.co.uk/
MADGWICK - http://www.madgwickcars.co.uk/
MK SPORTSCARS - http://www.mksportscars.co.uk/
MNRacing - http://www.mnrltd.co.uk/
PROCOMP - http://www.procomp.co.uk/
QUANTUM - http://www.quantumcars.co.uk
RAW ENGINEERING - http://www.rawengineering.co.uk/
RJH SPORTSCARS - http://www.rjhsportscars.co.uk/
RSC MOTORSPORT - http://www.rscmotorsport.com/
SHAW SPEED - http://www.shawspeed.com/
STUART TAYLOR - http://www.stuart-taylor.co.uk/
SYLVA - http://www.sylva.co.uk/
TORNADO - http://www.tornadosportscars.com/
VINDICATOR - http://www.vindicator.co.uk/
YKC - http://www.ykcsportscars.co.uk/
GST TUNING - http://www.gtstuning.co.uk
LUEGO - http://www.luegosportscars.com

GERMAN
RUSH- http://www.rush-sportwagen.de
IRMSCHER- http://www.irmscher.de
PEGASUS - http://www.pegasusautomobile.de
VM-77 - http://www.vm-77.de
HKT 7 - http://www.hkt-7.de
RCB - http://www.rcb7.de/
RUDOLPH - http://www.rudolph-roadster.de/
KAIPAN - http://www.kaipan.cz/
ESTFIELD - http://www.racetech.ee/

USA/CANADA
STALKER V6- http://www.stalkerv6.com
CHAMPION- http://www.championmotorcars.com
Superformance S1 - http://www.superformance.com
WCM Ultralite - http://www.wcmultralite.com/
COLD - http://www.canadianlocost.com/
DEMAN - http://www.deman-motorsport.com/
TRV - http://www.trvmotorsport.com/
Birkin - http://www.birkincars.com/


AUSTRALAISA
ALMAC - http://www.almac.co.nz/
MCGREGOR - http://www.mcgregormotorsport.co.nz/
FRASER - http://www.fraser.co.nz
CHEVRON - http://www.chevron.co.nz
Donkervoort - http://www.donkervoort.nl
BARNARD - http://www.barnardsportscars.com.au
BOMAC - http://www.bomac.com.au
CLASSIC REVIVAL - http://www.classicrevival.com.au/
ELFIN - http://www.elfin.com.au
NOTA - http://www.notasportscars.com/
PRB - http://www.prbaustralia.com.au/
PREDATOR - members.westnet.com.au/web/gsm/predator/
WEST COAST ROADSTERS - home.iprimus.com.au/ponton/
WHITE POINTER - http://www.whitepointer.com.au/

 

[TitanDiddly]

That car looks like it kicks enormous amounts of hiney.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: PhasmatisNox
That car looks like it kicks enormous amounts of hiney.

No kidding...