Gladdens the heart to hear teeth jokes from that bloke...

Posted by: Crid [CommentCrid@gmail.com] at May 22, 2009 1:58 AM

That was wonderful!

Posted by: crella at May 22, 2009 2:54 AM

No - HERE's what the future may look like.

Zip - and cool - of a motorcycle, comfort of a car.

http://www.carver-worldwide.com/SubItem/SubItem.asp?S_ID=23&nc=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KhABgoss0M&feature=related

Makes sense - most of the time it's one person driving alone. Why schlep 4 empty seats around?

Piaggio and other cycle/scooter makers are already anticipating the aging-boomer market with stable 3-wheelers that are easy and to ride and hug the road.

Google "Piaggio MP3".

It's just a matter of time before more of them offer a covered cockpit.

Posted by: Ben-David at May 22, 2009 7:05 AM

In no particular order:

1. I love Top Gear
2. I thought that was the smallest car until I read Man turns Postman Pat ride into world's smallest car
3. Next link in next post due to spam filter

Posted by: jerry at May 22, 2009 7:07 AM

You drive an Insight right? Well here's Clarkson (the guy in your link on the new Insight (he wasn't impressed.))

Much has been written about the Insight, Honda’s new low-priced hybrid. We’ve been told how much carbon dioxide it produces, how its dashboard encourages frugal driving by glowing green when you’re easy on the throttle and how it is the dawn of all things. The beginning of days.

So far, though, you have not been told what it’s like as a car; as a tool for moving you, your friends and your things from place to place.

So here goes. It’s terrible. Biblically terrible. Possibly the worst new car money can buy. It’s the first car I’ve ever considered crashing into a tree, on purpose, so I didn’t have to drive it any more.

Posted by: jerry at May 22, 2009 7:10 AM

That was brilliant! Thanks for posting it. Cracked me right up! o.O

Posted by: Flynne at May 22, 2009 7:16 AM

Ben-David, thanks for those links, too. They were pretty cool. I don't know that I'd like to see too many people on this side of the pond with those Carvers; just think of all the little old bikers who'd be tooling around in those things! I can see them now, guys in Hell's Angels colors with tatoos all up and down their arms, white beards, sideburns, long white hair (what's left of it anyway), and their little oxygen tubes in their noses, they'd be customizing them and terrorizing everyone during Bike Week in Daytona Beach! (oh, wait, they do that now anyway. o.O)

Posted by: Flynne at May 22, 2009 7:28 AM

You drive an Insight right? Well here's Clarkson (the guy in your link on the new Insight (he wasn't impressed.)

I read that. And Gregg drove the new Insight, too, and hated it. He's a car guy.

My Insight is a 2004 and a great little car.

Posted by: Amy Alkon at May 22, 2009 7:51 AM

Loved the link to the Carver, but my 2004 Insight is also a two-seater, 1900 lbs, and tiny, but with enough room for groceries for a girl like me. I suspect they made the Insight into an ugly family sedan because not enough people wanted a two-seater. Perfect for me!

Posted by: Amy Alkon at May 22, 2009 8:05 AM

Thanks Amy...that was hilarious!

It reminds me of the tiny cars you can buy and operate in France without a license ('voitures sans permits'). They look like Soviet Ladas and go about 90 kph full bore. But anyone can have one...just not on the autoroute.

Me, I take the bus, as I am a menace on the road! That is one of the few good things about living in an urbanized area.

Posted by: liz at May 22, 2009 10:04 AM

I've seen Carvers about Houston and even know a place next to my tattoo parlor that sells them. Maybe that will be my next car...

-Julie

Posted by: Julie at May 22, 2009 10:45 AM

Wow - if you see a Carver, please photograph and I'll post it!

Posted by: Amy Alkon at May 22, 2009 10:47 AM

Here's what Greg Easterbrook (no fan of huge cars) wrote about sub-compacts a few years back:

The [NRC] study also found that the most
dangerous vehicles for their occupants are compact and sub-compact
cars ("econo-boxes" such as the Dodge Neon and other small vehicles)
and, at the other end of the scale, pickups. In this sense, the study
confirmed the popular belief that econo-boxes are death traps. And so
they are: do not buy them and do not let your children ride in them.

(Here's the link, for whoever's interested:
http://www.mail-archive.com/sustainablelorgbiofuel@sustainablelists.org/msg37481.html

The Carmaker in Chief's new rules are going to mean a lot more subcompacts being sold, and consequently a lot more deaths.

Posted by: kishke at May 22, 2009 12:01 PM

Thx for the link K

Posted by: Crid [CommentCrid@gmail.com] at May 22, 2009 12:29 PM

Jeremy's long on snark, but he's funny. He's not anti-American, he's anti-EVERYONE.

And my Kawasaki gets 50 mpg, and looks cooler than your insight while doing it. Although riding in the rain sucks balls.

Posted by: brian at May 22, 2009 2:01 PM

I hate the phrase "a must watch", it's so mindless. *Nothing* is a "must watch"; you can go your whole life never watching any "must watch" videos and you'll be just fine.

Posted by: Mouse at May 23, 2009 6:52 AM