11-09-2006, 11:54 AM
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#1
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Regular User
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Toronto
Posts: 6,167
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0-60 in 5 secs w/ 92mpg?
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.
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11-09-2006, 12:33 PM
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#2
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Regular User
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Texas
Posts: 15,413
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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?
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11-09-2006, 01:00 PM
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#3
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Regular User
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: :noitacoL
Posts: 2,670
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^^ agreed, and all that motor does is run super lean. that is it. wow big jump in tech. there.
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11-09-2006, 01:24 PM
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#4
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Regular User
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Toronto
Posts: 6,167
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Originally Posted by RC45
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?
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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.
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11-09-2006, 01:45 PM
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#5
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Regular User
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Texas
Posts: 15,413
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Originally Posted by 5vz-fe
We are after all using only 20% energy of gasoline.
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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?
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11-09-2006, 06:46 PM
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#6
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Regular User
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 28
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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.
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11-09-2006, 06:47 PM
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#7
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Regular User
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: The 51st State
Posts: 10,181
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Very ugly :x
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11-12-2006, 09:57 PM
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#8
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Regular User
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 6,610
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What is this shit? It looks like someone bought an old fighter plane from the junkyard and cobbled it into a car.
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