No radio, no power steering, no power windows, no air-conditioning and one windshield wiper instead of two, no tachometer. To save $10, Tata engineers redesigned the suspension to eliminate actuators in the headlights, the levelers that adjust the angle of the beam depending on how the car is loaded. In lieu of the solid steel beam that typically connects steering wheels to axles, they used a hollow tube. The car runs on a continuous variable transmission, a lighter alternative to manual or automatic transmissions. Tata chose wheel bearings that are strong enough to drive the car up to 45 miles an hour, but they will wear quickly above that speed, reducing the car’s life span. The car’s top speed is 75 miles an hour. It has a $700 rear-mounted engine built by the German company Bosch, measuring 600 to 660 cubic centimeters, with a horsepower in the range of 30 to 35.
I also have a Bosch, but I use it to vacuum the house.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
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6 comments:
the philosophy: combining irreverence for conventional ways of thinking with a frugality born of scarcity
"irreverence for convention" is another way of saying, Fuck Safety!
Hey, maybe they can use this this pseudo-Trabby in Ulan-Bataar?
Good idea: I'll try pushing the idea while here.
Me, I'd rather spend $2,500 on a reasonable used car, than on a flimsy new car. But maybe they view things differently, out there?
In reality, and from what I've seen thus far, I doubt this Tata would go over in Mongolia. Technologically, this auto doesn't seem as though it'd be able to withstand a Mongolian winter. The temperature high for today is -30 Celsius. Invest in that Bosch vacuum instead.
Perhaps an electric heater would be a wiser investment? So do you stay warm up there? Huddle next to a yak?
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