I'd like to see this hit a pothole whilst on the tilt, clearance seems real low, country lanes would be the lat place i'd want to take this. I think if you had accident the tree would def win!
Why do the manufacturers not concentrate on cars people will actually want. I would happily buy an electric car as a 2nd car (commuter vehicle) if it was an attempt at actually making a good electric car, rather than ridiculous waste of money that will never make it anywhere near production.
Lets face it - electric cars require less servicing and maintenance, and this is where the majority of automotive company profits are derived; this is why the manufacturers are slow to introduce them... but when the first big manufacturer produces a good, normally priced electric car, the others will be forced to follow suit or lose market share in the long run as this 'first mover' takes all the customers.
Given that these would be round profile tyres, they look rather narrow, to my eye: barely more than 120/70s - and I doubt this car weights in a at much less than a quarter tonne.
I'm guessing all four wheels are driven, which probably rather changes the dynamics we'd expect from a standard combustion-engined vehicle, but I still wouldn't want to trust a round-profile tyre, of those dimensions, with a mass that great in anything less than a flat calm and sunny day - especially since a lot of that mass could be unsprung.
Two things; Firstly, It was 200*3*, not 2008 as the video suggests, that the Carver was first shown. Secondly, Carver went bust, but the tech company is still going.
Looks fun to drive, but there are a lot of extra moving pieces. It looks like the front wheels tilt, and all four fenders pivot up and down. It could be a problem to keep it all working properly if you go on a lot of muddy roads.
Not only would it make you seasick to drive on windy roads, imagine cutting a line on a sharp curve and nailing a pedestrian walking on a sidewalk as you lean into the poor unsuspecting person.
An on ice this car would be a real kick.
Nissan and the rest of them need to focus on making a car we can afford to drive not this latest batch of TECHNO buble crap that will never see the light of day.
I just don't see the necessity for leaning into corners like that. I assume it's not a fast vehicle, given the zero-emissions bit, so corners would be tame to begin with. I could see if you were blasting through some mountain roads, and didn't want to have your body pressed constantly against one side or the other of the cabin, but with wheels like that you'd surely be in full under steer before the lateral acceleration got too tiring.
And as someone else mentioned, the unsprung weight is probably quite high, which would kill braking and handling.
Having read some of the comments about feeling seasick, I take it none of you have ridden a motorcycle?
Motorcycles 'tilt' quite a lot when cornering as you may have noticed. however because the vector forces of gravity pulling down and inertia pulling you to the side, when combined with the tilt of the bike it pulls you down on the seat giving you the sensation of just a downward force.
In one of these you would feel less sloshed about from side to side than you would in a car tackling the same corners.
Your coffee cup would not spill a drop!
I'll get my coat, it's the one with carbon kevlar inserts....
This would not give you motion sickness. Dear lord where do some people get these ideas from?
And the nonsense about potholes. Deary me. And as for 'skinny tyres' - there is more to life than fitting a set of 10" Pirellis to a car in order to make it stick tot he road. Christ alive..........
I would definitely love to give it a whirl, if only to compare the experience with my Ducatis.
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Nissan demos leaning e-car
thefutureboy
It... #
Posted Thursday 8th October 2009 12:09 GMT
It made me feel slightly seasick just watching the video...
matt_lethargic
Pot hole #
Posted Thursday 8th October 2009 15:21 GMT
I'd like to see this hit a pothole whilst on the tilt, clearance seems real low, country lanes would be the lat place i'd want to take this. I think if you had accident the tree would def win!
Looks nice n geekified though!
Gary450
wtf #
Posted Thursday 8th October 2009 15:21 GMT
Why do the manufacturers not concentrate on cars people will actually want. I would happily buy an electric car as a 2nd car (commuter vehicle) if it was an attempt at actually making a good electric car, rather than ridiculous waste of money that will never make it anywhere near production.
Lets face it - electric cars require less servicing and maintenance, and this is where the majority of automotive company profits are derived; this is why the manufacturers are slow to introduce them... but when the first big manufacturer produces a good, normally priced electric car, the others will be forced to follow suit or lose market share in the long run as this 'first mover' takes all the customers.
Gary.
Anonymous John
I want one. #
Posted Thursday 8th October 2009 15:21 GMT
Nothing else to say really.
I want one.
Steven Griffiths
I prefer the Carver One #
Posted Thursday 8th October 2009 15:21 GMT
http://www.carver-engineering.com/projects/carver.html
Daniel 1
Wheels look a little skinny, to me #
Posted Thursday 8th October 2009 15:21 GMT
Given that these would be round profile tyres, they look rather narrow, to my eye: barely more than 120/70s - and I doubt this car weights in a at much less than a quarter tonne.
I'm guessing all four wheels are driven, which probably rather changes the dynamics we'd expect from a standard combustion-engined vehicle, but I still wouldn't want to trust a round-profile tyre, of those dimensions, with a mass that great in anything less than a flat calm and sunny day - especially since a lot of that mass could be unsprung.
G Roberts
Carver One? #
Posted Thursday 8th October 2009 15:21 GMT
Can't see the video at work, only the picture but it seems similar to the Carver One
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carver_(automobile)
The Original Ash
Carver #
Posted Thursday 8th October 2009 15:21 GMT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KhABgoss0M
A year ago, has seating for two.
The Original Ash
Ah... #
Posted Thursday 8th October 2009 15:21 GMT
Two things; Firstly, It was 200*3*, not 2008 as the video suggests, that the Carver was first shown. Secondly, Carver went bust, but the tech company is still going.
Anton Ivanov
Where is the HUD and Weapons console? #
Posted Thursday 8th October 2009 15:21 GMT
That will make one hell of a vehicle for a Bond movie. Just let Q play with it for an afternoon preparing it to be his "retirement mobility scooter".
Jonathan Hogg
Back looks more Cylon to me! #
Posted Thursday 8th October 2009 15:21 GMT
Mine's the survival jacket with the low-tech gadgets in the pocket...
Flugal
APT? #
Posted Thursday 8th October 2009 15:21 GMT
Memories of British Rail's ill-fated Advanced Passenger Train come flooding back...
Hermes Conran
Four wheeled electric motercycle #
Posted Thursday 8th October 2009 15:21 GMT
What's not to like?
Steve Evans
Hmmm... #
Posted Thursday 8th October 2009 15:21 GMT
Looks like fun...
But this looks like more
http://www.yikers.com/video_top_gear_reviews_the_carver.html
Wyrdness
Can do this already #
Posted Thursday 8th October 2009 15:21 GMT
I've already got two vehicles that can lean into corners like this. They're called motorbikes.
Natalie Gritpants
Off-road #
Posted Thursday 8th October 2009 15:21 GMT
I wonder if it can jack up all four wheels at a time to give decent ground clearance?
Chris Gray 1
maintainance? #
Posted Thursday 8th October 2009 15:21 GMT
Looks fun to drive, but there are a lot of extra moving pieces. It looks like the front wheels tilt, and all four fenders pivot up and down. It could be a problem to keep it all working properly if you go on a lot of muddy roads.
CC
The Barf Car! #
Posted Thursday 8th October 2009 15:22 GMT
Not only would it make you seasick to drive on windy roads, imagine cutting a line on a sharp curve and nailing a pedestrian walking on a sidewalk as you lean into the poor unsuspecting person.
An on ice this car would be a real kick.
Nissan and the rest of them need to focus on making a car we can afford to drive not this latest batch of TECHNO buble crap that will never see the light of day.
ian 22
I call Photoshop Disaster! #
Posted Friday 9th October 2009 00:10 GMT
Narrow innit. Where did they find the long and winding road?
I suppose Nissan hopes to get the illusion of speed by making driver intimate with pavement, and doing the tilty thing.
Mike Moyle
On first glance... #
Posted Friday 9th October 2009 00:10 GMT
...until I read the article, I though that the video still had been shot by the Ralph Lauren marketing people...!
That said, this looks like it would be fun to drive -- particularly in front of all the somewhat loopy drivers when the bars let out!
Eddy Ito
Don't like it #
Posted Friday 9th October 2009 00:10 GMT
Its smile looks forced and you can see the evil in its eyes.
Nexox Enigma
...but why? #
Posted Friday 9th October 2009 00:10 GMT
I just don't see the necessity for leaning into corners like that. I assume it's not a fast vehicle, given the zero-emissions bit, so corners would be tame to begin with. I could see if you were blasting through some mountain roads, and didn't want to have your body pressed constantly against one side or the other of the cabin, but with wheels like that you'd surely be in full under steer before the lateral acceleration got too tiring.
And as someone else mentioned, the unsprung weight is probably quite high, which would kill braking and handling.
Kevin McMurtrie
Run from the hills #
Posted Friday 9th October 2009 00:10 GMT
Soon to be seen tumbling down Filbert Street in San Francisco?
Matthew 39
Seasick? #
Posted Friday 9th October 2009 00:10 GMT
Having read some of the comments about feeling seasick, I take it none of you have ridden a motorcycle?
Motorcycles 'tilt' quite a lot when cornering as you may have noticed. however because the vector forces of gravity pulling down and inertia pulling you to the side, when combined with the tilt of the bike it pulls you down on the seat giving you the sensation of just a downward force.
In one of these you would feel less sloshed about from side to side than you would in a car tackling the same corners.
Your coffee cup would not spill a drop!
I'll get my coat, it's the one with carbon kevlar inserts....
Ian Johnston
Clearly the bastard offspring... #
Posted Friday 9th October 2009 00:10 GMT
of a Messerschmitt bubble car and a Sinclair C5.
Anonymous Coward
Prefer the Carver #
Posted Friday 9th October 2009 00:10 GMT
..subject says it all
Paul 129
Who designed this? The BBC? #
Posted Friday 9th October 2009 09:26 GMT
Q: How does a cyberman get to work?
Now we know.
Il Midga di Macaroni
Old tech... #
Posted Friday 9th October 2009 11:36 GMT
Aircraft have been leaning into turns for over 100 years... why does it take so long for cars to catch up?
Pete James
As Matt said before #
Posted Monday 12th October 2009 16:10 GMT
This would not give you motion sickness. Dear lord where do some people get these ideas from?
And the nonsense about potholes. Deary me. And as for 'skinny tyres' - there is more to life than fitting a set of 10" Pirellis to a car in order to make it stick tot he road. Christ alive..........
I would definitely love to give it a whirl, if only to compare the experience with my Ducatis.