Oh, wow — I so want one of these!
Steer it like a car and the Carver will bank like a motorcycle. The fully automatic hydraulic-mechanical DVC system makes this exciting kind of driving possible, lending itself very well to a sporty driving style. Enjoy the steering and feel how responsive DVC balances the vehicle body for you, banking to the exact natural angle. Its low weight and aerodynamic design allows the modern 4 cylinder 65 bhp engine to take CARVER in 8.2 seconds to 100 km/hour and to a top speed of 180 km/hour.
This little vehicle looks perfect for me — small, great for in-city driving, lots of fun to drive around in, and very eye-catching. Unfortunately, it looks like it’s only available in Europe. Bleah. I can dream, though, can’t I?
(via Blue Stone)
Movies of the Carver in action can be found here. http://www.brinkdynamics.com/together/ex_carver.html
Interesting concept – a motorbike with a hardtop (and sides). Wonder what the fail-safe mechanism is for the tilting mechanism? Getting a ‘blue screen of death’ as you hit a high-speed corner would not be pretty.
Blue screen of death? I don’t think so, the steering/tilting is a hydraulic-mechanical system.
Here, maybe this will help
http://www.carver.nl/home.htm
and more pictures are at
http://www.autoindex.org/model.plt?no=1724&ass=#
How about some specs? But you’ll have to do the metric/USA conversions.
Carver 3-wheeler 0.66 (Nice joke!…Get it?… Its 2/3rds of a car!)
…I never will forget my first car! she was a 0.66…
Number of seats 1
Engine type Otto, Front transversal
Number of cylinders 4, In-line
Engine capacity 660 cm3
Number of valves 16 DOHC
Fuel Petrol, Injection by cylinder
Supercharging Turbo + Intercooler
Max Power 48 kW (ECE) 7500 rpm
Max torque 100 Nm (rpm) 4000 rpm
Transmission & Drive
Drive rear-wheel drive
GearBox 5 Manual
Steering type Mechanic
Brakes & Tyres
Front tyres 140/70R 17
Rear tyres 195/45R 15
Front brakes Ventillated disc
Rear brakes Ventillated disc
Suspensions
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2650 mm
Length 3400 mm
Width 1300 mm
Height 1400 mm
Curb weight 620 kg
Performance
Top speed 180 km/h
Acceleration 0-100 km/h 8.2 s
I’m a bit confused? A supercharger and a turbocharger are two different things but this has a “Supercharging Turbo” ?
I do know that 100 km/h is 62mph so lets say 0-60 in 8 seconds. A little slow by car standards and a lot slower than any bike.
Why my 20 year old GPz550 (shameless plug..Its for sale http://aurorastudios.typepad.com/photos/cycle/the_bike.html)
Will blow this thing into the weeds as would the new Honda Accord but what the hell….You’ll look sooooo cool.
Wait! Stop the presses. If I read this right? Its a Diesel engine. That would explain the lack of oomph.
Man their messing with my brain, engine type “Otto” means diesel.
Fuel “Petrol” means gas.
but “Injection by cylinder” sounds like direct injection and that would be diesel.
Europeans know full well what “fuel injection” is, as ALL cars are now fuel injected and thats what they call it too.
Injection by cylinder implies something else. There are direct injection gas engines but they are very, very rare.
What ever? Its still way cool.
And for once something available for the Europeans only :-)
I have DRIVEN this thing and it’s insanely fun. Like flying a small airplane 3 feet above the ground. I’m a motorcyclist and a car enthusiast and this is hands down the most fun I’ve had at the controls of anything.
Shameless plug: watch the story i did on it on my series Life in the Fast Lane with Steve Natt on the Fine Living Network. This will be in episode 108
that is the most incredible vehicle i have ever witnessed. when can americans own one or how can an american start a dealership? my hat is off to vanderbrink carver engineers. awesome