Meet the T.27. In concept phase, but already only 600kg!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8344532.stm

...I admit I was duped the same way I BSed the topic name. Actually, you could completely write a journalistic article based on the text in there and deliberately get it all wrong. The prototype meets minimum weight, McLaren designers quote "It's all about efficiency and being lightweight"; "designed to absorb energy". Sadly, he means the crash structure and not because he's borrowing the McLaren KERS or something actually cool.

Maybe I'll go add this to McLaren F1's Wikipedia article. It would be factually correct! T.27, I declare your official name to be "McLaren 60mph armored golfcart"

The future of the electric sports car is already here with the arrival of the Tesla electric powered sports car.

Fully modern,silent and fast as all get out,the Tesla is an equal for any gas powered car for up to a hundred miles.

A spectacular automobile just reviewed in Automobile magazine after being driven for a week on real roads.

The saddest fact about the article mentioned is the picutre of the British Minister of Science and Innovation riding in a car that looks like a high school shop class made it.

This is 2009 and such a poor attempt at making a viable private electric car just does'nt cut it.

I guess that's why the inventor is a FORMER McLaren designer.

I guess that's why the inventor is a FORMER McLaren designer.

Murray designed the Brabham BT46 fan car and the McLaren MP4, among many others. He's not an "inventor".

The platform is clearly intended to develop the propulsion and other systems.

Gordon eat your heart out.....

http://www.kleenspeed.com/

coming to a racetrack near you. This little sweetie is an LMP lite car (alms) and is faster than the gasoline engine with full electric power......in San Jose, Calif, not too far from Tesla.....

If the guy who designed the first monocoque wants to build a really generic starting platform to make a safe super-lightweight electric car, I say great. The fact he specifically talks about having the safety crash standards kept in this first prototype without adding weight? Well, that -would- kind fit his talents.


Yes. I'm entirely aware of the Tesla. That's also... entirely different and has wasted infinitely more investor AND taxpayer money than this ever will.

madsomnambulist - 05 November 2009 11:24 PM

If the guy who designed the first monocoque wants to build a really generic starting platform to make a safe super-lightweight electric car, I say great. The fact he specifically talks about having the safety crash standards kept in this first prototype without adding weight? Well, that -would- kind fit his talents.


Yes. I'm entirely aware of the Tesla. That's also... entirely different and has wasted infinitely more investor AND taxpayer money than this ever will.

Tesla is privately owned and funded. As far as I know they have yet to receive any government grants...

speedsense - 05 November 2009 11:38 PM

Tesla is privately owned and funded. As far as I know they have yet to receive any government grants...

I believe we are both technically correct! They made the super-easy-terms super-cheap generic no-enforcement-if-not-repaid government blank check -loan- list. Original requests were for $25B (the hell?) of the bailout cash, but were declined because the auto industry money came up later and they had to accept the loans on short notice anyway to stay up.

The vast majority of their cash is from unknown foreign investment and taken from reservation costs on orders. Last I checked, they were $3-5k needed up-front to be listed for the newest coming model and Tesla specifically states on their site that they cannot promise returned deposits if they go out of business.

Not exactly in good shape... and not showing long-term feasibility with nothing affordable or practical yet. ...But I'd still think the idea of some day a "McLaren" (even if not in name, of affiliation) electric car would be quite delightful, even as a normal passenger car.

madsomnambulist - 05 November 2009 11:57 PM

speedsense - 05 November 2009 11:38 PM

Tesla is privately owned and funded. As far as I know they have yet to receive any government grants...

I believe we are both technically correct! They made the super-easy-terms super-cheap generic no-enforcement-if-not-repaid government blank check -loan- list. Original requests were for $25B (the hell?) of the bailout cash, but were declined because the auto industry money came up later and they had to accept the loans on short notice anyway to stay up.

The vast majority of their cash is from unknown foreign investment and taken from reservation costs on orders. Last I checked, they were $3-5k needed up-front to be listed for the newest coming model and Tesla specifically states on their site that they cannot promise returned deposits if they go out of business.

Not exactly in good shape... and not showing long-term feasibility with nothing affordable or practical yet. ...But I'd still think the idea of some day a "McLaren" (even if not in name, of affiliation) electric car would be quite delightful, even as a normal passenger car.

The electric Kleen Speed car is pretty neat and fast too. It is actually quicker than the same race car with the series engine in it. And they are approaching their goal of getting to run 40 minutes at racing speeds.
I've seen it run at the local airport track they use (ex military base- Moffett Field) though you see charge off, you hear nothing except the tires lapping the ground and the air whisling over the body work,.... somehow it ain't right without an engine sound....but bad fast....

madsomnambulist - 05 November 2009 10:13 PM

Meet the T.27. In concept phase, but already only 600kg!

The article says its predecessor was 600kg without mentioning the T-27's weight - "The T.27 car is designed for city or town use. Its predecessor, the T.25, weighs 600kg - half the weight of an average small family car. "

I hope the Kleenspeed has a PA system to make it sound like a race car. I would miss the sound of a pack of cars going round the track at full song. Sorry I am just a moss back at heart.

Bill

worknman24-7 - 05 November 2009 10:40 PM

The future of the electric sports car is already here with the arrival of the Tesla electric powered sports car.

Fully modern,silent and fast as all get out,the Tesla is an equal for any gas powered car for up to a hundred miles.

The Tesla is very cool as an example of what can be done today with a pure electric sports car. Top Gear tested one (well, it turned out that they needed two), and on a single lap it proved the equal of a Porsche 911 GT3. Unfortunately, it also proved itself done after 55 miles and in need of a 16 hour charge.