Bubbledrome (little, old cars)

[angib]

In Britain the lunatic fringe are putting big motorbike engines (R1, Hayabusa) in the backs of classic Minis - sometimes in carbon-fibre monocoque (unibody?) replica bodyshells. The benefit of the Mini is that it's so much lower than a Smart so it goes faster and handles better - plus it can have a passenger seat.

If the bodyshell is really light, the bike engines are so powerful that I bet they have a better power-to-weight ratio than that big V8 Mini - heck, they probably have a better power-to-weight ratio than just the V8 without the Mini!

Andrew

[Arne]

There was a smart car there. heard they put some electronics in it to keep it from rolling over, which evidently was a problem...

Not sure it will gain wide acceptance here. Even our small cars have grown in size, like the Toyota Corolla, over the years... and the Honda Civic as well...

I would not want to be in a smart car in an accident... with motorcycles, the favorite excuse for drivers who hit them is "I didn't seem him/her"... I'll bet they'll use the same excuse when they squash a smart car.

[del]

There was a smart car there. heard they put some electronics in it to keep it from rolling over, which evidently was a problem...

Not sure it will gain wide acceptance here. Even our small cars have grown in size, like the Toyota Corolla, over the years... and the Honda Civic as well...

I would not want to be in a smart car in an accident... with motorcycles, the favorite excuse for drivers who hit them is "I didn't seem him/her"... I'll bet they'll use the same excuse when they squash a smart car.

I have heard that excuse used where I used to work. Somehow they missed seeing an 11' high, 8' wide, 40' long bright yellow vehicle with bright flashing red lights. But if a cop seen them they got a $308 reminder, stop. Some people do not look does not matter what you are driving. I have seen a crash test video on the smart car and I would feel quite safe in that car. My 2 cents.
del

[asianflava]

In Britain the lunatic fringe are putting big motorbike engines (R1, Hayabusa) in the backs of classic Minis - sometimes in carbon-fibre monocoque (unibody?) replica bodyshells.

This place makes kits for a Honda K20A (Civic Type-R or Acura RSX engine) into a mini. Probably not as light as a Busa engine but, considering the small contact patch, they are both way overpowered anyway.

http://www.superfastminis.com/

Here is a magazine article on a modded Mini
http://www.caranddriver.com/specialtyfi ... -mini.html

[Bobgorilla]

Those mods are pretty neat but I'm seem to remember that 1 of the best things about mini's is that you could undo about 4 bolts and pick the motor up by yourself and carry it into the kitchen and set it on the table to work on it

[steve wolverton]

http://www.superfastminis.com/

This is exactly the kind of reason that I should never come into large sums of money.