84mpg
Elio Addict
I stumbled across this old video of GM's Lean Machine. The 11 minute video covers the why and how they developed their three-wheeled machine. The thing could have really changed transportation. It would have been the original "and" vehicle. I was riding bikes a lot in 1984 and absolutely drooled over that mockup at Epcot. I'm not so sure it wouldn't have been more fun than a bike. You would have been a lot drier in the rain – that's a fact!
I asked someone why it stalled and was told the steering wasn't that easy to grasp. I suspect – using the feet to lean the vehicle was issue for a first timer jumping in it. I'd bet the average bike rider would have no problem driving the wheels off it after a few minutes in a parking lot.
I've never forgiven GM for not producing it. But I see why they didn't. How many of their 24 mpg vehicle sales would have been lost to a 200 mpg Lean Machine? Enough to make them hesitant to build them?
Less than 1/8th the wind resistance of an average car of that time. Wow!
Here's the YouTube link:
I asked someone why it stalled and was told the steering wasn't that easy to grasp. I suspect – using the feet to lean the vehicle was issue for a first timer jumping in it. I'd bet the average bike rider would have no problem driving the wheels off it after a few minutes in a parking lot.
I've never forgiven GM for not producing it. But I see why they didn't. How many of their 24 mpg vehicle sales would have been lost to a 200 mpg Lean Machine? Enough to make them hesitant to build them?
Less than 1/8th the wind resistance of an average car of that time. Wow!
Here's the YouTube link:
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