McLaren T25 City car - Revolutionary - or roll over?

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Wed 30 Jun 2010 08:30
McLaren T25 City car - Revolutionary - or roll over? - oilrag

Just what we need for crowded roads, perhaps. But a couple of lads returning from a night out drinking would seem to be able to roll this on it`s side.

I can beat 74 mpg in the Punto van too - despite it being twice the weight.

Will it catch on though? And perhaps even more importantly will it be the `ice breaker` for lightweight cars becoming desirable?

For me, the mental image generated, on first sight, was of a blue mobility three wheeler - the type discontinued many years ago.

oilrag

www.autotrader.co.uk/articles/2010/06/uncategorize...d

Edited by oilrag on 30/06/2010 at 08:54

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Wed 30 Jun 2010 09:20
McLaren T25 City car - Revolutionary - or roll over? - Armstrong Sid
But a couple of lads returning from a night out drinking would seem to be able to roll this on it`s side.

Or maybe they could just pick it up and run away with it

For me the problem with all these micro-city cars, like the Smart as well, is that they look like a phone box on wheels. If someone ever designs one which doesn't have the tall-and-narrow look, then I might consider them seriously

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Wed 30 Jun 2010 10:45
McLaren T25 City car - Revolutionary - or roll over? - Bikerkid

So A-S you want a town car that is low and wide. A TOWN CAR?

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Wed 30 Jun 2010 13:05
McLaren T25 City car - Revolutionary - or roll over? - Armstrong Sid
So A-S you want a town car that is low and wide. A TOWN CAR?

I know what you mean. But I just can't take seriously any car which is taller than it is wide.

And I'm old enough to remember seeing things on the road like the Meadows Frisky, Goggomobil, Peel

I'll just have to live in the middle of nowhere so that I'll have enough space

Edited by Armstrong Sid on 30/06/2010 at 13:08

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Wed 30 Jun 2010 10:49
McLaren T25 City car - Revolutionary - or roll over? - Bikerkid

You could get three Bond Bugs in one parking space, parked head on.

Still the ultimate town car and with a modern small engine would be economical too, you would also save on tyres!

I know some of you will champion the bubble car, but the 4-1 defeat last Sunday still rankles with me, however deserved.

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Wed 30 Jun 2010 23:35
McLaren T25 City car - Revolutionary - or roll over? - sandy56

Like some of these City cars they are UGLY. The proportions are wrong.

I would rather go for a small Fiat 500 than one of these.

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Thu 1 Jul 2010 10:50
McLaren T25 City car - Revolutionary - or roll over? - Bikerkid

Like some of these City cars they are UGLY. The proportions are wrong.

I would rather go for a small Fiat 500 than one of these.

What exactly is a "small" Fiat 500, Sandy?

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Fri 2 Jul 2010 16:47
McLaren T25 City car - Revolutionary - or roll over? - b308
What exactly is a "small" Fiat 500, Sandy?

Old style one perhaps?

The C1 and clones don't look too bad, though.

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Thu 1 Jul 2010 00:43
McLaren T25 City car - Revolutionary - or roll over? - Avant

Beauty (or ugliness) is in the eye of the beholder. Gordon Murray is well-known and highly respected in the industry, and no doubt he's done plenty of research into the marketability of the T25.

If it can be made to sell at a reasonable price, and can offer a choice of petrol or electric (or hybrid) I think it could catch on. The Smart would have been much more successful if itr were a bit cheaper and didn't have that silly semi-automatic gearbox.

Further thought - whatever version of the T25 goes into productiuon will surely have to have NCAP approval, so there'll have to be a level of safety inbuilt appropriate to the size of car.

Edited by Avant on 01/07/2010 at 15:03

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Thu 1 Jul 2010 11:53
McLaren T25 City car - Revolutionary - or roll over? - oilrag

I notice it`s a City car - but allegedly governed to 90mph.

Perhaps if it were limited to 60mph and not used on motorways?. It`s the high speed swerve that worries me, plus the passenger seeming to have no chance of control if the driver suddenly becomes incapacitated.

Even on a bike, if the guy in control collapses on the tank - you have a sporting chance of leaning it out of danger from the pillion till speed drops off.

Then there`s the psychological factors - that most people prefer to sit side by side and interact with each other while motoring.

I think someone should take the original mini- the exact internal and external dimensions and set a challenge to designers to create a City car, meeting modern safety requirements from that.

At least it`s not a Luftwaffe ex WW2 cockpit mounted on three wheels. Pity, always wanted one of those ;-)

Edited by oilrag on 01/07/2010 at 12:32

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Thu 1 Jul 2010 15:48
McLaren T25 City car - Revolutionary - or roll over? - stackman

The tandem layout seems to offer very few advantages over the side-by-side configuration.

Unless you can be as narrow as a motorbike and so be able to squeeze through gaps you may as well not have the compromises in stability, accommodation and practicality.

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Fri 2 Jul 2010 00:47
McLaren T25 City car - Revolutionary - or roll over? - Sofa Spud

For such a tiny car, the design looks quite neat, although it does remind me a bit of an oversized mobility scooter. Hopefully the T25 will be given a gloss finish rather than the matt finish of the prototype.

Whether the Murray T25 will catch on I'm not going to guess. But if it drives nicely, is reliable, suitably priced and has reasonable safety, I give it a chance. Alongside the T25, the T27 electric version has been developed. If that's better than the Reva G-Wiz, then it should find buyers. If the T25 develops a cult status, like the Smart or 2CV did, then its future will be assured.

T27 electric version: http://www.carsuk.net/gordon-murray-t-27-electric-city-car-exactly-what-an-ev-should-be/

The tiny size could put off some buyers because of the perception of vulnerability. But then people ride motorcycles and scooters, where they're even more vulnerable.

Edited by Sofa Spud on 02/07/2010 at 00:56

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Sat 10 Jul 2010 12:36
McLaren T25 City car - Revolutionary - or roll over? - Leif

The tiny size could put off some buyers because of the perception of vulnerability. But then people ride motorcycles and scooters, where they're even more vulnerable.

Good point. And I think if you get rear ended by an artic, any small car would end up squashed. Maybe drivers should be forced to wear motorbike leathers so that in the case of a crash, all the bits are kept in a convenient easy to carry 'bag'.

They quote 74mpg. I wonder if that is combined? If so, this thing could approach 100mph on long A road runs, which is not bad. One issue is comfort, and noise. I bet it is noisy inside, and rather spartan. That would be a shame. Though I suppose it would be quieter and more comfortable than a bike.

There are already some micro-cars, but they tend to be expensive and garage built i.e. basic. So if this is priced as per a typical basic small car, it might sell as a shopping trolley, and runabout.

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Mon 12 Jul 2010 08:39
McLaren T25 City car - Revolutionary - or roll over? - Sofa Spud

QUOTE: ....""And I think if you get rear ended by an artic, any small car would end up squashed""

But that's the case for any car, not just small cars - especially for for rear-seat passengers. I saw a Transit type van that had been rear-ended by a lorry once - although the driver was probably OK apart from maybe hiplash, there wasn't much of the back half of the van left.

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