Alright, so I've got another one of my (by now) infamous "ideas".. Every now and then posts pop up about designing an 'official' middy locost. Now I am by no means talented enough to give it a go, but all the discussions did give me an idea or two..

Basically, the idea I'm getting from nearly all discussions on the subject here is that people are just thinking to complex. Complex ideas seldom become reality, especially if it involves designing and building something from scratch.. The various chassis designs that occasionally show up need be much simpler, bodywork needs to be done away with altogether, think small and simple.. yet make the design fully adaptive...

Instead of an exotic or formula one type approach I'm thinking more along the lines of a go kart.. single seat, very minimalistic, very scalable to fit whatever engine..

Sortof like a streeet-legal version of this:



A basic go kart design, just scaled up (double size for instance).. Using wide 13 inch wheels and a simple, single donor such as a small Fiat, VW, Ford, etc.. It could be made very small and extremely light.. The suspension could be pretty simple, as could.. well, pretty much anything else, actually...

Lights, wheelcovers and seatbelts and all that shouldn't be too difficult to include in the design.. a proper rollbar might be more of a challenge, offering decent protection, without looking awkward..

So whatcha think? Any major hurdles that would prevent such a simple design from passing SVA and being street legal?

By adding the goodies to make it road legal (lights, belts, ...) it'd probable look pretty "strange".
Apart from that, would you really want to drive something like that on the road Any type of accident involving a "real" car or lorry will kill you (at best)!
I think anything more minimalistic then an Ariel Atom is probable very hard to achieve...

solid rear axle - no diff might cause you a problem

Getting the lights into the right positions would look a bit odd!

Love the idea!

here you go...
http://www.kart4you.de/
its all been done

It is possible:
quadricycles, other than those referred to in (a), whose
unladen mass is not more than 400 kg (category L7e)
(550 kg for vehicles intended for carrying goods), not
including the mass of batteries in the case of electric
vehicles, and whose maximum net engine power does not
exceed 15 kW. These vehicles shall be considered to be
motor tricycles and shall fulfil the technical requirements
applicable to motor tricycles of category L5e unless
specified differently in any of the separate Directives.


F-kart


more pictures



[Edited on 4/10/07 by t.j.]

How about one of these instead, website sez they can be made road legal

Linky Thing

P.S Watch the video!!

[Edited on 4/10/07 by cossiebri]

People in regular street cars are looking for items of a certain height and I am thinking that a gokart on the road would be like an invisibility cloak!

I reckon it would have a street life of about 2 minutes

Ooh, thanks for the links.. well, so much for me trying to be original..

Sizewise, I do not know how much of a problem it would be. After all, the GT40 is pretty low, too.. never heard of any complaints about that.

It wouldn't be all that small, anyways.. I guess it would have roughly the same wheelbase and trackwidth as the classic Mini.. as I said, the go-kart design would have to be scaled up anyways.. I believe minimum ground clearance needs to be in the order of 10cm or so anyways?

Naturally, a solid rear axle would be out.. It would have to go anyways, as the most obvious engine transplant would be that out of a FWD car.. so double wishbones front and rear..

Mirrors and lights could be housed in small pods, that way it wouldn't even have to look half bad..

At 1:1 size it's a death trap (as said). Once you're up to mini size + 40inches high it might look a little odd, but will be just as safe (or unsafe) as a seven.

Can't see any reason why you couldn't get an SVA with it, except the obvious arches, lights etc.

Just copy a Sylva Riot.

You dont want ending up designing a Canta!


Altough, doesn't it look sexy?!

See as he lives here...




I don't think SVA is an issue.

However I think the condition of the local roads may make some suspension mandatory!

That looks like a giant F1 track! Is that about an 8 hour road course?

quote:

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Originally posted by Doug68
See as he lives here...




I don't think SVA is an issue.

However I think the condition of the local roads may make some suspension mandatory!

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