Hibusa Yes....

It looks like it's barfing up its engine,cool!

Why the crummy cameraphone looking pics?

Turbo 10psi... HELL YEH

Just don't bump anyone or you lose the engine.

STRANGELY PRACTICAL. I want one! where do I sign!?

It's TRIKETACULAR!

Wow, I think that's the 4-valve from the Centauro. How rare are those?

I couldn't get one of these.

All the Morgan guys would be revving at stop lights to race. That annoyance would take away from the car's charm.

This car looks like a cuttlefish to me. How much for the kit?

@Bret: I hate it when that happens.

What's the weight distribution on this thing?

Seems like you'd need to ballast that tail or risk doing a headstand on a hard stop.

@joshman: Don't know if you were aware, but in California, the person who hits the rear bumper of another car is at fault. Period. It doesn't matter if the guy decides to slam on his brakes on the freeway, if you hit the rear bumper, it's your fault.

I think if your motor doubled as your front bumper, people would give a lot more room to the car in front of them.

It's the official car of Dr. John A. Zoidberg. Now you just need to find a mechanic familiar with the internals of an alien vehicle such as this, or you'll end up with your fuel hoses swapped with your brake lines.

@Mad_Science: with you rbig FATASS in it all is COOL

Neato! Pretty sure it still uses the VW transmission. Alot like the Merlin Roadster, which used a Harley V-Twin:

Much cooler packaging on the Zero though. I wonder what applications there are for adaptor they're using to mate the bike driveshaft to the VW trans? Merlin doesn't sell theirs anymore...

@Bret: Gotdamn morgan drivin' hooligans at it again!

Blackjack Zero, zero disign, zero power, zero functionality. Ever seen a bath tub with wheels and motor?

Any idea what the performance and mileage specs would be on something like that?

In the next year or so, I'll be looking for a commuter mule. I'd imagine a 1000lb car with decent aerodynamics would fit the bill pretty well.

Not a Centauro engine, but the square fin engine that's been around since the mid 80s. Capable of up to about 105 HP with tweaks.

The transmission is the standard Guzzi tranny with drive shaft.

I love my Guzzi, but this could be fun.

@carless: Cooler packaging, AND it doesn't use a Harley engine. Double bonus there. And it doesn't apply to this, but I always hated the way the Moto Guzzi engines looked in the bike, with the V-twin sitting sideways. Too bulky and whatnot, not such a sleek appearance. And it's not just that the engine is exposed, because Ducati Monsters look awesome. The cylinders sticking out sideways just look awkward.

With that clutch basket out front of the motor like that, how hard do you think it would be to stick 2 motors together for V-4 power?

@Bret:

I always sort of assumed that anyone driving a car made partially out of wood would'nt be interested in racing. Maybe pheasant hunting or a spot of oak-aged vintage whiskey...but racing?

Oh man, with a good exhaust, there's nothing that will sound quite like that thing!

Needs more cylinders.

[upload.wikimedia.org]

Now THAT's a car!!

#&@&#@%!! image machine is shite...

Thing's cute. Not sure if I want to drive cute. Maybe I'd just stick with a Guzzi, which is a damn fine motorcycle. If this thing had some sick S&S 110c.i. v-twin, it might help the testosterone deficit.

I like it. Even though/especially because it reminds me of...

Can there be a more perfect car for the Subie 2.0l diesel with 258 ft/lbs of torque? Whoeee!

@Mad_Science: Sounds like you want a Se7en. Al Navarro, to the White Courtesy Phone. Considering a 1000cc Guzzi gets around 40mpg in an unaerodynamic 500-600lb package, that'd probably be your upper limit in a light car.

@Feds: That's the alternator sticking out there. The (dry) clutch is out back, just like a car.

Assuming they're using the stock transmission..what do you do about reverse? Push? Ah, the bane of the bike-engined car..

@elwood: OK, but having the jugs sitting at arm's length means you have somewhere to warm your hands when they get chilly. Or to bruise your knees. Been there, done that. '75 Guzzi 850 was my first bike..now mostly sitting in my living room. At least the Guzzi doesn't heat up your butt when idling like the Ducati v-twins.. And valve adjustments are a 15-minute job on the Guzzi vs Zen meditation & extreme patience over in Desmodromic land. Having all the fiddly bits out there in the breeze is handy, sometimes. I've been putting off the valve adjust on my Monster for several months now because I'm dreading that rear cylinder...

They saw a backwards parked 911, mistook the back for the front and went, "yeah, I can do that."

@Fitty7lax: yeah, but a backwards 911 doesnt have 3 wheels (that would make for even more interesting driving dynamics)...

@Mad_Science:

It should have close to 66F/33R weight distribution. 3-wheels get dangerously unstable if you veer more than ~5% away from equal weight on each wheel.

Sad face for front wheel drive, but I guess you don't want to run a driveshaft... It would drive a lot better, though. This comes from a guy who's gone drifting in a 3-wheel, single-rear-wheel-driven EV before.

@theholymac:

You're spot on about the 3 wheeler dynamics: it has to have it's weight distribution 66F/33R, and that's why the engine is placed where it is: Morgan already mastered this trough the first 4 decades of the 20th century. And this architecture it's surprisingly more capable around corners than a conventional 4 wheeled car.

But... I rather have the power were the most rubber is: in the 2 front wheels.

It may be less fun, but it's more effective: powering on a single wheel, specially if we think about how the rear suspension doesn't deal with the lean of the car while curving, is just asking to loose grip and induce a major spin.

It can be fun to control it, but it will be dangerous if it surprises us, and slower than a FWD architecture, which will have twice as much traction.

Ducati's engine would have been a better choice. With its L-twine arrangement it would be more explicitly show the rest of the world what it is.

[blogs.nypost.com]

@Bad Juju:

Bugger... I had just assumed my Honda GL500 was a note-for-note copy of the duck motor, and thus the front appendage was a clutch. Alas, never assume...

@Bad Juju: Yeah, I think BMW's with the motor sitting sideways look a little goofy too. While I understand all the shortcomings of owning a Ducati (most notably, as you mentioned, the valve adjustments), it still doesn't stop me from wanting one. Because, DAMN, Ducatis are sexy.

Strictly and practically this is an ideal daily driver. With a modest engine it would still give exhilarating performance and the gas mileage would be up there at least in the Geo Metro range. Now if they could bolt on an A/C unit and a covered top for us Texans it would sell like hotcakes.

@DoctorNine:
Cool! But doesn't the prop hit the ground? :-)

The Wikipedia definition of "understeer" should include a picture of this thing.

@tony-e30:Only if it's a dictionary of antonyms. It doesn't work like that. FWD trikes with all the weight in the front won't understeer. They grip like crazy. Let off the gas suddenly or brake too late heading into a corner and they'll snap oversteer.

I own the original Blackjack Zero and it is utterly wicked. No need to load up the tail ... going into a roundabout as hard as you like I've never managed to get the tail breaking away, it sticks like chewing gum to your shoe. I'd recommend the Zero, huge fun, real head-turner and the girls love them! Shame I'm married ... !