The Fiat Topolino is an all-electric quadricycle designed for easily navigating city traffic, with a top speed of nearly 28 miles per hour and a driving range of up to ~47 miles on a single charge.
I don't believe they'll find enough buyers to make this idea come close to breaking even. Not far enough or fast enough to do diddly squat unless it's used on a gold course, vacation resort, or similar limited distance limited speed locations
Agree. Like those retirement communities in Florida where golf carts are allowed on public roads.
ReplyDeleteBob
I know the original version, the Citroen Ami - this is simple badge engineering - and I can tell you: This is a TERRIBLE pos with ANY standard! 1. No trunk - even the world's cheapest car, the Tata Nano had to be modified in India, because the customers wanted to have a trunk door. The Ami and Topolino does not have trunk at all. Only hooks to hang your shopping bags somewhere.
ReplyDelete2. Single windscreen wiper arm that leaves a HUGE piece of the windshield untouched, a 18 wheeler semi can hide there.
3. NO AIRCON! Good luck to sell anything - except a golf car - in the US without aircon.
4. The car is completely simmetric. The frontend and the back is the same piece of plastic. Therefore one door is normal, the passanger door is suicide door, because the hinges is on the front on the left side and on the back on the right. Pfff...
5. I have larger mirror for shaving then this thing. Not sure it have mirror on both side.
6. It have tiny foldable windows like Citroen 2CV.
The Tata Nano is not roadworthy in the US - Jay Lano have one, that is how I know. If NTSB make this road legal, make the employees to use it as company vehicles!
I remember when years ago everyone in the US was laughing on the two seater Smart Cars. Those were practical city cars, with huge trunks - compared to it's size - with tailgate like trunk doors. This is the caricature of a car. If this is the future of automobile, I will walk instead, pushing my groceries in a wheelbarrow!
There are GREAT japanese, four seater kei-cars out there. They are practical and cute. Great city vehicles. We all saw the videos on YouTube of imported, RHD kei-trucks, right? Lot of american youtubers are crazy about them because they are practical.
Gosh, a Trabant 601 is more useful then this turd.
I agree. The smart car was an actual car that could travel at highway speeds, traction control, anti-lock brakes and eight air bags, and they barely made a dent in this market.
ReplyDeleteThe Smart car was a good car, and had all the things a car normally does, and then a bit more. But I think the cost killed it.
DeleteThere's a reason used cars sell so much, they are affordable.
IF someone would look at the historic record of best selling cars, they'd see what I do, the Model T and Mustang, and then it was the Maverick or Pinto, I wrote about it and can't recall which
Simple cars, no frills, sold RIDICULOUS numbers, and were inexpensive.
So, why can't anyone just do that? Doesn't need to be a bare bones, but that isn't the deal breaker either, it simply has to be a car that a first time new car buyer can afford, college students, secretaries, military, bus drivers, people working at McDonalds.
Those were the people buying Mustangs.
Anyway, something for 15k. Nothing with new engineering, all the parts from off the shelf, it's been done before!
"something for 15k. Nothing with new engineering, all the parts from off the shelf, it's been done before!"
DeleteIn 2011 I bought a new Hyundai Accent 2-door hatchback for $13,500. 33 city / 40 highway. A/C, automatic, nice stereo, decent handling. At the rate I'm putting miles on since I retired, it might last me the rest of my life!
Bob