Jalopnik
Forever settling the "Which is faster? Bikes or cars?" debate is the Acabion GTBO. With a top speed of 340mph, it's a full 90mph faster than a Bugatti Veyron. It accelerates from 0 to 300mph in 30 seconds. Oh, and that top speed is limited, not what it'd actually be capable of reaching in perfect circumstances. Best of all, Acabion are ready to start production.
The GTBO is capable of more than just jaw-dropping performance figures. By employing low aerodynamic drag, low weight, and low rolling resistance, it's extremely economical, too. Cruising at 100mph it achieves 100mpg. At 250mph, 25mpg.
The GTBO is the brainchild of Peter Maskus, who sees it as the ultimate long-distance transport solution. In the world Maskus envisions, we'll all be using solar-powered, electric mass-transit for short commutes, creating a need for ultra-fast, ultra-efficient, individual, inter-city, rapid transportation. The GTBO fills that need.
Maskus realizes that the GTBO could never exist in mass quantities in today's world; instead, he pictures the development of an integrated transport network making extremely high speeds both practical and safe. In the meantime, he's prepared to produce the GTBO in extremely limited quantities to further both innovation and awareness of his transport solutions.
If you want a GTBO now, it'll cost you. €1.87million to be precise. Then there's the three-year wait—that's how long Maskus says it'll take to build one. [Via Hell For Leather]
Comments
I wonder how many wealthy hoons will die...
Paging Jay Leno's checkbook... Jay Leno's checkbook to the courtesy phone
Needs some Furai styling cues and I'm all over it.
Y'know, if I had $4m to spare.
Looks like it's got 4 wheels to me. Or do those training wheels retract? Not to mention the seating position qualifies it more like a scooter than a bike.
Either way, my BS meter is showing a strong reading here.
It seems like € 1.87M would be enough to run a whole development program, which would take about 3 years.
"Forever settling the "Which is faster? Bikes or cars?" debate "
Methinks Gerry Weigert has something to say about that!!!
[jalopnik.com]
If the late Evel Knievel had one of these, he could have jumped the Snake River AND saved gas at the same time...
dude
what question?
is there any question ever?
BIKES are always faster!
$30,000 ducati flog $300,000 lambo
kawasaki ninja flogs everyone
never has been a question
never will!
yes
two wheels good
four wheels for scaredy cats!
@jonnylieberman: Let's race Jonny. You: Vector, Me: Acabion. Bonneville salt flats. This summer. The glove is thrown.
Made from 100% batshit.
@Wes Siler: I'd tune into that show.
@billstewartx: Not so fast. As a rider, I'd like to agree with you, but most tests show that the two are about equal, leaning toward cars.
There's several reasons and theories. Cars, despite being heavier, roll much less during turns, allowing a sharper entry into turns. Further, cars can get on the power on exit earlier (tail out in a car = rad, tail out on a bike = probably gonna lowslide). Bikes hold the advantage in acceleration up to about 120-140 when aerodynamics becomes a dominant factor.
I think bikes are faster on tracks with sweeping turns and medium length straights, but on tight tracks or on tracks with very long straights (backstretch of Road America for example), cars are dynamically better.
But most importantly, in my experience it comes down to the pilot of the vehicle. Valentino Rossi on a Ninja 250 could probably lap faster than any of us can in an Atom, just like Schumacher in an Accord could probably chase down most average riders on a Duc 1098R.
The outriggers must retract, as there are gas struts under the rear of the body attached to them. Plus, there ain't no way you're going to get tires that size to stay intact at near light-speed RPM.
Reminds me of the Ecomobile, a Swiss machine. Saw one, and one only, someone rode it to college in N. Texas in the late-80's. Bitchin' concept, but I'll pass on 4 million dollars for a 350 MPH version.
@Wes Siler: That would be the very best thing that's ever happened in the history of life on earth.
When I met Weigert he asked me if I had the "balls" to go 200 mph in his car. I told I'd go 300 mph. This is after he threatened to break Aaron Gold from About.com in half.
I really need a camera to follow me around....
@Fitty7lax:
Excellent argument.
It's amazing what a Gold Wing will do if the right person is at the controls.... Even I have managed to surprise those on sportbikes, and I don't claim to be anything special on two wheels.
@Fitty7lax:
very good point. Though, my ego likes my chances on a 1098R
340 mph? What's gonna happen to those DOT tires at those speeds?
Bikes accelerate quicker, cars go around a road course quicker. It depends on what you want.
Well, that, and the choice between being severely burned or having your collarbone go through your jugular...
looking at the gallery, that riding position would scare the bejesus out of me at speed... how do you control the weight and lean?
@akbar: Ask Mr. Garrison.
Pssst... hey kid, do you want to buy a supercycle? Fastest thing on two wheels, three or four. AND, you'll get 100 mpg. Yes? Just hand over $4 million. I'll be back in three years.
Hmmm... seems to me, I've heard variations on that scam before.
I'd like to see how U.S. would classify this thing. A motorcycle "has less than four wheels." It will prob go the way of the VW trike and 1 liter concept.
@jonnylieberman: Yes, but the only difference is Weigert can do it. I'd rather see a camera following him around.
@akbar: Countersteering, exactly the way you control the lean on any motorcycle.
@Ray Wert: Him and Gary Busey.
I could totally build one of those . . .
There's no way this takes 3 years to build, it's a bike/car/pod thing, not a freaking multilevel freeway exchange.
I'm really curious what's up with the (apparently) functional prototype in the pictures. I bet you could get some people to sign up if you held a demonstration of the top speed/mileage.
"100 mph at 1.7% throttle and 100 miles per gallon?"
this will look great in the garage of that new oceanfront arizona property i just bought from the acabion real estate group.
Didn't something like this come out about 10 years ago, and Dominoes Pizza bought some to use as delivery vehicles in a publicity stunt? I can't find it on Google, but I'm pretty sure they were shootin' the pies out in something like this.
Also, it looks like a giant suppository.
@lascauxcaveman:
okay
just watch the gearboys show a few months ago
the ducati kicked the shit out of the lambo
i can't find the link..
will look for it...
here
[www.dailymotion.com]
@Fitty7lax:
[www.dailymotion.com]
okay
well, here are the gear-boys going at it
check it out
Bummer. For a minute, I thought GM was badge-engineering a new "Pontiac" Malibu for Canada.
wonder when top gear will grab their dirty lil paws on it, who will drive it to its peak... hamster maybe, hmmm
or is it a suppository for an dually pickup >,<
Enclosed cabin & four wheels... Eureka - they invented a car!
*swig guinness* Brilliant!!!
Giant motor and little more than a thin aluminum fairing between you and certain speedy death? I'll take two.
Finally, the 340 mph cycle for extremely quick trips to Costco. SAVZ GAZ!
Hell, people absolutely can't see me on my 125cc scooter (maybe 60 mph tops), so I'd love to see their reaction times when a bike passes them at 120 mph never mind 340. Yeah right.
Yes! Read about this thing several months ago and I've been dying to know if it's total BS. I expect it is, but it'd be really cool if it isn't.
@Fitty7lax: Gotta agree with you on this one. As both a rider and a driver, my sentimentality is split, but in this part of the world, with twisty-turny-windy roads the norm, the car eats sportbikes for lunch. I can think of only about 5 curves in this province that I would brake for in the Corrado, but I wouldn't even consider taking them at those speeds on the bike. I've been passed by cocky sportbike riders who blow past me like I'm standing still on the straight stretches, but three corners later are glancing nervously at me coming up behind them in their rearview mirror.
That said, the rider in me wants one of these, bad. I think I need to put a PayPal "Donate Now" button at the bottom of every one of my posts on the innerwebs.
Those photos were obviously taken in front of Poplar Mechanic's Swiss office. Gentlemen, we have the "flying car" within our grasp!
Oh please, this is clearly BS.
Problems, problems, problems.
This thing scares the bejeezuz out of me.... I've not ridden many fast bikes for legality reasons, but I do know that the if you get out of shape, like a slide, it is throwing your bodyweight in the opposite direction which is your best chance of uncrossing yourself.
This thing, with 750hp, anything goes wrong, even slightly, and you're a passenger. You go where it goes.
I know we're talking hypothetical here... nice idea, but uh... no.
Arnold Wagner came close with the Ecomobile, and we know that that actually works (video). Also, with a sensible 130hp it looks like it totally fucking rocks.
Three years to make... what, do the people who build this thing test drive them too?
"Hey Bob, take this one we just finished out for a test run will ya?"
"Sure Frank!" Vroom, VROOM! screeeeech! BOOM! "Ahhhhh!"
"Oh that's great, JUST great! Now we have to build another one all over again AND find a replacement for Bob! We'll be up to four years in no time."
@Rust-MyEnemy: You make a good point... I don't think my reflexes would be good enough to try and control it at 300MPH. It'd probably be cheaper and easier just to straddle a RATO rocket.
Wouldn't get the fuel mileage, however.
"750 Bhp"
I dont think so.
@DefinitelyNotPOLAR!: Do like they do in the comic strip "Brewster Rocket":
...VROOM! screeeeech! BOOM! "Ahhhhh! MY SPLEEN"...
Kinda my "You killed Kenny! You Bastards!" for the new millenneum....
@Tanshanomi:
well, yes, but... how does you slide your knee?
@Charles_Barrett: Oh my GOD, Acabion killed Kenny,
you BASTARDS!
@Buckster: 750 Body-parts Hacked-off Permanently!
"Well Frank, the opportunity sounds promising, but are you sure there's no life insurance benefits?"