Every once in a while something comes along that just absolutely blows my socks off. Here’s one example: It’s called the Carver and it’s set to revolutionize three wheeled transportation.

Unlike Bombardier’s entry into the market, called the Can-Am Spyder, the carver is really the first production vehicle that is an actual hybrid of a motorcycle and an automobile. The Dutch engineers behind this exciting new design have spent the last 11 years mastering the mechanics that make it all work… And it works beautifully.

I have to say though that I’m a bigger fan of it’s internals then it’s externals - A little more aesthetic care taking on it’s exterior design seems to be in order, but that’s just my opinion. In fact, it ought to have the sexy curves of the nose section of an F-18, but hey, we can’t all have our cake and eat it too, right?

Needless to say, the concept is a fascinating one, so let me expand a little into how it all works. The vehicle has two main rear wheels with regular automotive tires. There is one front wheel which mounts a motorcycle tire. The engine is in the back and drives the rear wheels.

We’ve all seen a basic three wheel design before, especially in choppers; What we haven’t seen is the futuristic mechanical wizardry needed to enable this type of vehicle to bank into turns like a motorcycle. So running through the rear section, perpendicular to the main drive axle is a pivot shaft that the upper body of the car rotates on; Resulting in the entire forward section of the vehicle banking like a motorcycle while the rear wheels stay firmly planted on the ground - like a car.

The main result of this revolution in design is the difference in the direction of the centrifugal force felt by the driver. Instead of feeling pulled to the side when you turn, the Carver will always make you feel pulled straight down into your seat - Where you should be. The resulting increases in confidence alone will have Carver drivers all over the world going ape sh$t and yelling whippee while no doubt keeping police departments on overtime.

But from a stability standpoint, this is all very exciting and you’ve got the power section where it needs to be, especially during throttle ups. What’s more is that one can see the radiators mounted on the forward facing portion of the rear section and every time the vehicle is in a turn, one of the radiators is fully exposed to the ram air flow. In the upright position the radiators receive air through massive aviation style vents on each side of the vehicle.

Horsepower is a respectable 68 bhp at 6,000 rpm, but for a vehicle weighing in at 1,418 lb without the driver, that would seem quite a bit on the conservative side - Especially when contrasted against today’s sport motorcycles, with 1000cc models pushing over 160 bhp to the rear wheel while the motorcycles themselves only weigh in at 450 lbs., or thereabouts. So understandably, the Carver’s 0-60 mph is 8.2 seconds, and it’s top speed is only 115 mph. Fuel consumption is a respectable estimated average of 40 mpg.

One would think that the forward brake would have to be pretty hefty, but the Carver’s specs do not specify their dimensions. Also, anti-lock technology is hopefully on board, however I wasn’t able to find that out either.

According to the Carver Website, steering is established through “an innovative a feedback controlled tilting system enabling the vehicle to lean into corners, always keeping it in perfect balance. It consists of a robust mechanical/hydraulic system that is supported by an electronic fine-tuning system. It’s function is based on a hydraulic valve control system that senses the side-force on the front wheel to control the position of the cabin.” A technical paper on the subject can be viewed here (.pdf 2MB). One thing to note - The Carver’s steering is reactive, not angular driven. In other words, the rate at which you roll the wheel will determine the bank angle, not the degree of wheel movement.

The interior is understandably cozy and the full roll cage is appealing. Note the in dash CD player. US models will reportedly have air conditioning as well. The seating is tandem with the driver in front - What a way to spend the afternoon with that special person, huh?

All and all I’m enthralled with The Carver. Not only is a feat of engineering that’s a long time in the making, I think it’s set to change driving as we know it. Right now the car is only available in Europe, but Carver has sent a team to the US to study getting it approved here. They estimate that will come sometime after 2009.

In the mean time, I’ll be waiting fingers crossed. The price is reportedly £22,000 GBP which loosely translates to almost $40,000 USD, according to Top Gear Magazine. Speaking of Top Gear, below is an excellent review of the Carver, and you can see it in action as well.

Enjoy!

Capt’n Chris

Check out: http://www.carver-worldwide.com

Filed under: Off Topic | |

I guess I don’t know what to make of this one: Perhaps it’s a bunch of bored firefighters? Either way, it’s kind of cool! It just goes to show you that with enough thrust, using anything as fuel, you’ll have an equal and opposite reaction; In other words, Newton’s Third Law holds true!

Capt’n Chris

Filed under: Videos | |