Ravenwood - 12/16/04 06:15 AM
The Japanese are rolling out some new concept cars and personal mobility devices. This souped up electric eight wheeler will supposedly give American/German/Italian musclecars a run for their money.
The eight-wheel Eliica from Japan's Keio University Electric Car Laboratory can scoot from 0 to 60 mph in four seconds. It hits maximum speeds of 230 mph.
Gizmodo reports that this ugly duckling has a 100-hp electric motor for each of it's eight wheels. (How's that for 8 wheel drive?) Unfortunately it cost a quarter of a million dollars and takes a full 10 hours to recharge. There is no telling how fast the batteries would discharge at 230 mph, and at 800-hp I can only imagine the pollution* this thing must generate.
Next up is a "personal mobility vehicle", which I presume is Japan's answer to the Segway.
Toyota's i-unit personal-mobility concept vehicle gets you from point A to point B in a reclining or upright position. It will be shown in Aichi, Japan, in 2005.
If you ever see me driving one of these kooky contraptions, just shoot me.
* Considering most of the World's electricity comes from nuclear or fossil fuels, I wouldn't exactly call them "clean".
Category: Toys for Grownups
Comments (7) top link me
In addition to the kooky contraptions, how about those outfits? Do we shoot if you don one of those?
Posted by: Steve Scudder at December 16, 2004 6:58 AMIf you hear that Ravenwood is wearing one of those, you'll know that Ravenwood is already dead.
Posted by: Ravenwood at December 16, 2004 7:14 AMI've seen a boil on a dogs arse that looked better than that car. Styling is 1960's Citroen, and I would bet that that shape is a perfect lifting body above about 130 mph. They are trying to tell me that that thing outperforms Ferraris, Porsches, TVRs and McClarens? As for those Action Man toys, I wouldn't drive one to the toilet.
Posted by: robert in england at December 16, 2004 7:39 AMI saw one poster to a caption contest call those things The Vagina Travelogues
Posted by: Ralph Gizzip at December 16, 2004 9:29 AMI think the "Personal Mobility Vehicles" are supposed to be more of a next-generation electric wheelchair, rather than a Segway-type thing. IIRC, there was another one displayed that had legs, and was very Mecha-like.
Posted by: Eric at December 16, 2004 9:40 AMI don't think that thing will fit on a wheelchair ramp.
Posted by: Ravenwood at December 16, 2004 9:54 AMIf you put a few missiles on it and a huge ass machine gun, i'd ride one of those.
Posted by: Mays at December 16, 2004 4:01 PM(c) Ravenwood and Associates, 1.99K - 2K7
