McLaren F1 Developer Designs New Auto Driving 100 MPH on 96 MPG
Some highlights:
The matte-black T.25, with a 51-horsepower, three-cylinder engine, goes 100 miles (160 kilometers) per hour. It gets 96 miles to the U.K. gallon (1.2 U.S. gallons) compared with 72 mpg for the Smart Pulse coupe in Europe. The cobalt-blue T.27, propelled by a lithium-ion battery and a 25-kilowatt electric motor, can go 100 miles on about $1.06 of power.
His iStream system forms a chassis out of composite and then installs components and attaches body panels made from recycled plastic bottles. Three steps -- stamping the steel frame, welding the body together and rustproofing -- are eliminated.
Replacing metal presses with machines for bending, welding and the simplified assembly process means that the manufacturing plant can be designed to be 20% the size of a conventional factory. This could reduce capital investment in the assembly plant by approximately 80%. Energy costs down 60%.
They come in gasoline T.25 and electric T.27 versions.
And how this is possible due to a new chassis manufacturing process/philosophy: istream
I say this is a potential game changer for the world and I would be willing to buy one.
Thoughts?
The other problem, other then the design, is the door-thingie. Open that in the rain and see how it goes...
