The new car, represented here by its prototype, the XP1, also called Lizzie (an hommage to the United Kingdom queen), is 2.40 m long, 1.60 m tall and only 1.30 m wide. It will allow two of these cars to share the same lane in roads and streets. And this is one of the objectives of the company: to protect personal mobility. Not appealing to easy ideas, but giving small cars some of the same solutions McLaren F1 has adopted back in 1992: bonded steel structure and central driving position.
Have a look at the steering wheel. Behind it you can see the pads used for changing gears. T.25 has a five speed semi-automatic sequential transmission that controls the three-cylinder 660 cm³ engine. It is able to deliver 52 bhp at 7,000 rpm and 57 Nm at 4,000 rpm. For a car that weighs only 575 kg, that is enough. This would allow the car to reach 156 km/h if it was not limited to 145 km/h. It also makes T.25 reach 100 km/h from 0 in 16.2 s. This may not be a very appealing performance, but, since the goal is fuel efficiency, something that the central gauge proves by indicating the fuel consumption, we may have to change priorities.
The last interesting characteristic of T.25 is its door, or else, its canopy, similar to the ones used in airplanes. Besides letting all three occupants enter and leave the car, it also works fine in tight parking places. The passengers travel just behind the driver and the car also carries 160 l of luggage. If no passenger is in the car, luggage capacity can reach up to 720 l.
Dinamically speaking, T.25 counts on full independent suspension, rear wheel drive, ABS, ESP and traction control as standard equipment. This is the first product of the iStream manufacturing technology, but it surely won't be its last. T.27, the electric version of T.25, is also on the works, but many more vehicles are sure to arise. Gordon Murray speaks of developing cars for specific countries, such as Brazil. We count on that.
Source: Car and Driver Brasil