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5vz-fe
11-09-2006, 11:54 AM
http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=631588

We were wrapping up our coverage of the first day of the SEMA show and ready to tilt back a few cold ones at the Honda reception when we came across a display showing this odd looking three-wheeled orange car. We may have continued walking but some of the people in the booth were fiddling around with the engine cover and Shawn spotted a D-series Honda motor nestled down in the vehicle's tube chassis. It was in fact a turbocharged three-stage VTEC D15B motor that started life in a European Honda and thanks to the 5-8 psi of boost is capable of delivering up to 180hp.

Then we glanced up and noticed a banner proudly proclaiming the vehicle's performance figures. 0-60 in 5 seconds and 92mpg. These numbers sound pretty good, but the company claims the "alé" can also corner at 1.7G and speed through the quarter mile in 12.9 seconds . How do they do it? Well, this car was built to showcase a system that permits a very lean combustion (more than 20:1) event involving some sort of "Fuel Vapor Technology" (hence the name of the company, Fuel Vapor Technologies). In the video below, "head tech" Brad Zimmerman talks to Shawn a bit about the car and a little bit about the fuel vapor technology.

RC45
11-09-2006, 12:33 PM
Yet another ugly and impracticle motorcycle/car? ;)

What is it with new technology and cars and their looks?.... can't anyone make the "new tech" stuff look good?

TNT
11-09-2006, 01:00 PM
^^ agreed, and all that motor does is run super lean. that is it. wow big jump in tech. there.

5vz-fe
11-09-2006, 01:24 PM
Yet another ugly and impracticle motorcycle/car? ;)

What is it with new technology and cars and their looks?.... can't anyone make the "new tech" stuff look good?

LOL, I think the 2mpg is from the missing wheel friction. Well, if they can manage to reduce the emission on the lean burn, it may not be a bad direction to go in. We are after all using only 20% energy of gasoline.

RC45
11-09-2006, 01:45 PM
We are after all using only 20% energy of gasoline.

Sure - but we are having a huge amount of gut wrenching, ear pleasing and great looking fun doing it.

When will these folks realise, the performance specs need sights, sounds, smells and feelings to match?

gofetch06
11-09-2006, 06:46 PM
Yuck. That thing is hideous. If it had four wheels I would maybe consider it. It looks like those Messerschmidt micro cars from the fifties.

TopGearNL
11-09-2006, 06:47 PM
Very ugly :x

Mattk
11-12-2006, 09:57 PM
What is this shit? It looks like someone bought an old fighter plane from the junkyard and cobbled it into a car.