Small Car Poodle Syndrome: Correllation?

Does This Make You Feel Powerful?

Really small cars do something to most people. Drivers push them twice as hard as a normal sized sedan. Maybe its poodle syndrome applied to the highway. Maybe its rage against a world that puts you in a car half the size of the typical SUV that can crush you in a single bad swerve. In tiny cars, drivers scream by me on the highway like suicidal Cafe Racers going to Meet God, in person.
Whatever the cause, I would never buy a used Mini Cooper, a used Honda Civic Hatchback, or a used Smart. The owners race them as fast as they can go, with their small engines pushed to the limit, red lining all the time. The Smart runs a motorcycle engine, 600cc. Potentially good fuel economy due to the size, but I always see those in the fast lane doing 80 mph. That may be fun, but it can't be good for engine life or fuel economy.

Edward is Edward.

 I'm told that pretty much all 49cc scooters are pushed like this too. WOT means Wide Open Throttle, run at redline (if there is one), all the time. They're more fun that way, apparently. I've never done that, but I'm reasonably stable. You buy a used car or scooter that's smaller displacement than it should be, factor in your engine replacement cost to your offer. I suspect most sellers will be disappointed, but word gets around how the Smart and the Fiat 500 are utterly thrashed by their owners.

When I think about fuel economy, I know the math favors lighter vehicles with smaller engines, because less weight takes less energy to move around. Its pretty basic physics.

Must...feel...SAFE!!!

 

Getting past the stupidity of people who insist on "safety" in life are the sorts I plan to smirk at when they starve to death "for safety" because they can't get to work without fueling up their SUV.

Anasazi means "ancient enemy" in Navajo.

The Southwest is filled with ruins and skeletons of people who refused to adapt to reality. I don't feel sorry for those folk. We all make our choices.

This is less fun than it looks. 

Rain is coming today. Bicycling or scootering in rain would not be a choice I'd enjoy. A roof over your head so you arrive warm is always preferred.

Articulated, Electric, Computer Controlled.

Lucky for us, the Japanese are already working on it. While the Dutch "Carver" has since gone out of business, the Japanese have built concept narrow-cars that lean. These have some potential, actually.

Narrow, but room for groceries in the back.

The VW 1L is actually getting 240 mpg running diesel, though I do hope they'll lower the price. It looks weird and small but I suspect its reasonably practical in the real world, despite being an upgraded 1930's Messerschmitt mini-car.

Because racing is the right answer.

Sadly, the BMW C1 stopped production in 2003.

There's also scooters with front windshield and roof and two rear wheels that make for a taller and more agile version of the Tuktuk. Its a bit safer too, though a lack of doors would be annoying with a wet winter crosswind.

Sure, you can wear a business suit in this, but won't you be miserably cold by the time you get there in your worsted wool? I'm sorry, but this vehicle either needs doors or a better dressed rider. The two front wheels make braking much safer, though so this is likely a winning design, overall. I think we should expect more things like this because they're cheap to make, get you to work on a small fraction of the fuel you used to use, and will reduce our dependence on Foreign Oil. This would work with domestic fuel production, including biodiesel or electric.

Now, if the folks riding these can just avoid the Smart car's Poodle Syndrome of hyper-aggressive driving...