What do you currently drive? [Archive] - ApteraForum.com

Yanquetino

12-30-2007, 04:44 PM

We have a 2005 Subaru Outback and a 1998 BMW Z3. I might be willing to give up the Z3 for an Aptera Typ-1 EV --if they are ever sold here in Utah (sigh)! Our biggest concern, however, is that the two of us commute 104 miles round-trip, over two mountain summits each way, and thus would like to see Aptera increase its EV range a bit more.

As for our Subaru, it would remain our occasional "workhorse." I am a firm believer that we do not need hybrid cars, either parallel (like the Prius) or series (like the Volt), but rather hybrid garages, i.e., a pure EV for 95% of our driving (commuting, errands, shopping) and a "workhorse" for the other 5% (snow, towing, hauling, cross-country trips).

numtopi

12-30-2007, 06:18 PM

Yang, I love the Z3's. Probably one of my favorite cars. I personally drive a 1997 VW Jetta. Nothing special, but it gets me around and is good on gas. Not quite 300 MPG but it'll do until I can get my Aptera lol.

Yanquetino

12-30-2007, 06:49 PM

Numtopi: Yeah, we love our Z3! It is a wonderful car, despite not having as many bells-and-whistles as its successor. And, in my humble, opinion, its "classic" roadster styling is better looking --especially in the "retro" color we have:

http://www.casteyanqui.com/_dibujos/cetatres.jpg

Too bad it's not an EV!

IanO

12-30-2007, 08:57 PM

2007 Azor Opa Dutch bike.

Also, a 2001 Prius.

admin

12-31-2007, 09:56 AM

I love the Z3 :) It looks awesome!

swinti

01-03-2008, 04:16 AM

Mercedes Benz V280 http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1240/1293453736_d247a12041.jpg
SMART 4/2
CITY BIKE
MOUNTAIN BIKE
and from time to time a TWIKE http://www.twike.comhttp://www.twike.de/redesign-300.thumb.0b2648259d2c8c8295538a529d44db66.jpg

Yanquetino

01-03-2008, 11:04 AM

Swinti: Love your Twike! I hadn't seen them before. No wonder you're interested in the Aptera. How's your range in it? The main website claims 200 km (125 miles), but its U.S. site states 130 km (80 miles). Have you ever hit its reported top speed of 85 kph (53 mph)? That'd be pretty scary with those small wheels! :eek:

swinti

01-03-2008, 04:18 PM

The main website claims 200 km (125 miles), but its U.S. site states 130 km (80 miles). Have you ever hit its reported top speed of 85 kph (53 mph)? That'd be pretty scary with those small wheels! :eek:

Hi Mark

the range depends on the battery type. 125 miles Lithium/Ionen, 53 miles Ni/Cadmium.
My top speed on the highway 75 kph, I don´t feel safe with more!

I hire from time to time a Twike, but I would not purchase one. The price is far too high, so I am wayting for something like the Aptera.

Have a good time
Walter (swinti)

Matthijs

01-05-2008, 01:26 PM

Hi All,

I am just new in the forum. My name is Matthijs and I am from Holland. Currently I drive a '92 Seat Toledo (200k Kilometers) and a '87 Mercedes Benz 190E (Only 20k Kilometers (12500 miles) like new :D ) I am really interested in the Aptera and will Import one as soon as they will be sold for export.

I drove by the pump today and gas is now 1.54,5 euro. So that is $8.62 per US Gallon. So you can Image why I am getting fed up with driving an ICE car. I just love the Aptera's ability to go 120 miles with 10kWh of NRG! :D

Yanquetino

01-05-2008, 08:00 PM

Hoi, Matthijs! Welcome to the Aptera forum. My wife and I are often in the Netherlands. She taught at Neijmegen University for 8 years in the '80s, and still has colleagues whom she collaborates with in Utrecht and Amsterdam. Where are you at? I know what you mean about the price of gasoline. I swear that my next car will by an EV --not even a hybrid! Tot ziens.

Matthijs

01-05-2008, 08:47 PM

Hi Yanquetino, :)

Nice to hear that you visit the Netherlands allot and have contacts there! Currently I live in Almere. That's about a 20 minute drive from Amsterdam. We have family in Amsterdam whom we visit regularly. Well the Aptera would be a great car to sell in the Netherlands! Firstly because of the high fuel prices ($8,62 per US Gallon) and secondly because it is registered as a motorcycle means 1. No APK (Yearly check for vital points on the car) 2. No BPM (45.2% extra VAT) on top of the 20% VAT in the Netherlands 3. No road tax. 4. Lower insures rates than a car. 5. Lower custom duties for Europe. 6% instead of 10% for a car to import.

So I hope I can import the car taxfree (-7.25 VAT) because of all the extra taxes that come with shipping the Aptera to the Netherlands. :D

Aptera#965

01-06-2008, 01:14 AM

We currently own a FJ Cruiser and a Honda CR-V.

When the Aptera arrives I plan on trading the other two for a new Tacoma Double Cab for utility duties.

RoxChkPlusOny

01-10-2008, 04:06 AM

RoxChkPlusOny

01-10-2008, 04:13 AM

It's a sad sack of trash, really. 26mpg with my drive characteristics, and in reality it's a compact car that at its age should give me 31mpg (compared with similar Corollas). I don't use the 5 seats except on rare occasions when we're in groups and asking for drive volunteers. I don't drive the full 280mi range in the tank except over a week or two. I also have a nice road bike, but it can't fend the water so I haven't been riding as much lately :( Maybe I'll pick up a commuter bike if Aptera and Venture get delayed.

Jonesstan

01-11-2008, 03:55 PM

Driving a 2004 Toyota Prius, and it's without question the finest general transportation auto I've ever driven. Has over 72,000 miles, and still gets more than 44 miles per gallon. The only service needed has been an oil & filter change every 5000 miles, and it needed new tires after 55,000.

MegaAutoBit

01-11-2008, 10:54 PM

I have two cars.

2001.5 VW Jetta
Before I put the big wheels on it, and gas prices were around $2.50 I was getting about 24 MPG average. However, since a move, and the addition of big wheels I now only get 18 MPG at best. However, at my new locations, I do a lot more stop and go. For a car this size now requiring $40+ fill ups on a collage student’s budget is crazy. But I love the car, and she has a lot of nice modifications on her.
http://www.aspenengineering.com/Other/Profile/Front.jpg
http://www.aspenengineering.com/Other/Wheels/wheels1.jpg

My other car 1979 Merc 300TD all original.
http://www.aspenengineering.com/Other/Profile/MBZ1.jpg

typ-1h

01-14-2008, 12:53 AM

I drive a 1990 Toyota Celica. I was thinking on the drive home though about how useful an Aptera would be. Basically the math like me goes like this:

I spend about $40 every time I fill up going about 250 miles on a full tank and I usually do this once a week. This would mean that in a year I would spend $2080 on gas when driving the Celica.

In 15 years of average driving in my Celica that would be $31,000 worth of gas. (keep in mind my Celica is already 18 years old so that is no feat in itself. We will just have to wait and see if the Aptera can hold up for 195,000 miles like the Celica. But considering it will...)

In 15 years of the same average driving in an Aptera I would only spend about $3000 in gas. That would leave me saving $28,000 in gas. But to be fair I would also charge the Aptera maybe every other day which would account for about $8000 over 15 years, given a full charge costs about $4.

After all is said and done, I would be saving $20,000 on fuel costs over the lifetime of the car by switching from my Celica to the Aptera, and as the typ-1's are going to cost about $30,000, that looks to be over a 60% discount on todays driving standards.

Sounds like a sound investment.

speedgsx98

01-14-2008, 02:44 PM

I drive a 2007 Honda Civic hybrid. Mileage varies like anything else with terrain and speed and whether stop and go or constant movement. I get anywhere from 32mpg in town to 50mpg with steady driving. Looking forward to my aptera. I'm for reducing/eliminating our demand for foreign oil. I've heard figures of the US using 400 billion dollars a year of oil. That's a lot of money that is going out the tailpipe. I also have a 2007 honda civic ex coupe.

BlueVFRank

01-31-2008, 07:01 AM

Matthijs

01-31-2008, 09:02 AM

Hello,

BlueVFRank here from the Netherlands. Besides my motorcycle I also have an Civic Hybrid, now a year old and i've ridden 30k kilometers with it.

Can't wait for the aptera to get here to take my fuel economy to a new level!

Here's a pic of my car

Deeplinking isn't allowed with this host. Try to upload your pictures to a service where it's possible to do this.
Hello BlueVFRank,

Nice to see someone from the Netherlands found the forum as well! Enjoy your stay! The Aptera would be a very good car to drive in the Netherlands. This because of high fuel prices and other taxes that makes having a car a pain. :(

BlueVFRank

01-31-2008, 09:13 AM

KarenRei

01-31-2008, 12:26 PM

Wow, everyone here seems to drive new, expensive cars. My partner and I have a '96 Saturn and an '86 Olds.

From my perspective, as someone who hangs onto vehicles, the amount of money the Aptera will save over its lifespan, from maintenance to energy costs, makes it significantly cheaper than getting a regular gasoline car.

Matthijs

01-31-2008, 05:43 PM

just changed webhost to be able to show the pic of my car (wich i love and will probably keep untill the aptera is available in the Netherland)

Oh and Matthijs with this car i already got an € 6.400,-- tax discount when i purchased the car!

I am planning an importing an Aptera Typ1 e when the opportunity arises! This means 6% import taxduties instead of 10% because the Aptera is a bike. No extra tax for it. (No BPM) and no road tax (Houderschapsbelasting) either!

Wow, everyone here seems to drive new, expensive cars. My partner and I have a '96 Saturn and an '86 Olds.

From my perspective, as someone who hangs onto vehicles, the amount of money the Aptera will save over its lifespan, from maintenance to energy costs, makes it significantly cheaper than getting a regular gasoline car.

Well then you missed my part lol. I have old cars. But I got one for free so, I will drive that car until it's dead. :D

Aptera1171

02-01-2008, 02:20 AM

I've been driving a 2007 Honda Fit from April 2007. Consistantly get 35 mpg combined. I hate giving my money to big oil (or even through the backdoor to terrorists). Come on Aptera.

Thirdeye

02-07-2008, 01:35 AM

VW Golf R32 (2004) and an Infinity G35 (2003). Even though the two cars have similar sized V6s (3.2L vs. 3.5L), I can manage 28 mpg on a mostly freeway commute with the manual transmission VW, but can't top 22 mpg on the same route with the automatic G35 (pathetic, isn't it:( ).

The VW is a definite keeper due to it being the most versatile, fun car I've ever owned, so the G35 gas-guzzler will be the car to sell. If all goes well the Aptera should be filling that spot:)

GCustom

03-08-2008, 06:13 AM

04 prius with 67k miles

Dubito

03-09-2008, 11:11 PM

Still driving a ’94 bmw. In last four days drove north to visit friends and put on 800 miles. Used approx. 35 gals and figure my Type 1h would have saved at least 30 of them. I spent over $4.00/gal. for the first time in the US so I’m looking forward to seeing apteras start to roll of the line. Also want to see if the slippery shape really does elude insects, which plastered the bmw on the trip down the 5.

Tachy

03-10-2008, 04:33 AM

I currently drive an Audi A4 2.0 TDI, still waiting for an electric car!

Matthijs

03-10-2008, 04:41 AM

I currently drive an Audi A4 2.0 TDI, still waiting for an electric car!

Hello! Welcome @ the aptera forum. Is it possible that I have seen you around @ the Loremo forum?

qpham63

03-11-2008, 09:49 AM

Just curious. What kinds of cars do you guys currently drive.

I'm not ashamed to say that I drive a 2004 TrailBlazer :) Pretty much the 180 degree opposite of the Aptera Typ-1 :)

I like to believe that we all make the best decision on what we drive with our needs, our budget and the choices available at the time. I think the Aptera is the right choice. If fuel gets up closer to $6/gal, for some, fuel saving would help pay for the purchase of an Aptera and it will make more ecomic sense beyond the cool and green factor.

I drive a '03 Cadillac CTS with 36mi RT commute at the time. Now daily, with my shop, wife's salon and job, the Cadi is seeing ~60mi/day.

Bought it new be cause it looked cool, came with $3K CADI loyalty program. I went and bought a junker for $50 and had it hauled to the junk yard to capture the $3K, I just had to show the pink. 60 mos 0% interest so it was about the same price as an Accord.

:( In retrospect, I should have gone with an accord as it is more fuel efficient (CTS aerodynamics = brick) and my air conditioning, cruise control, muffler mount, radio control button on steering wheel would still be working I believe and got an average 3 mpg better. I don't have a lead foot.

Wife drives an Acura MDX to drive son to school and to work putting on ~3-5 miles/week day. We have also one son going on 9 one puppy (added last saturday) extended family 2x mom/dad in-law, 1x bro in-law and we take trips together a lot to the bay area, mountains, even just getting out and grabbing a bite this is why we are pushed to a larger 7 seater. Thinking back, perhaps a AWD van would be a better choice with more room but may not tow our 4x8 utility trailer.:(

I am on the list for 2 Apteras. One for self, one for business partner. He has 80 miles RT commute but has his own natural gas well with a leased honda natural gas powered civic. The 2nd Aptera may be offered to the right person to help us with our business as we grow but will serve as an errand car until that happens.

I also have an electric assisted trike that I have built to commute the 36 miles. Powered by legs and up to 500W Cyclone kit through the same drive train and juiced by 24V-20AH Li-ION battery pack. I am in the process of converting an upright comfort bike and assisting that with a 350W Cyclone kit and the same power pack swapable between two set ups. I also have a graphite road bike that is not electric assisted that I ride from time to time but perhaps getting too old for 36 miles RT without lots of help.

KarenRei

03-11-2008, 04:31 PM

"He has 80 miles RT commute but has his own natural gas well with a leased honda natural gas powered civic"

Well that's certainly an interesting situation to be in!

qpham63

03-12-2008, 02:43 AM

"He has 80 miles RT commute but has his own natural gas well with a leased honda natural gas powered civic"

Well that's certainly an interesting situation to be in!

I thought it was rather convenient as he paid to drill another well for his 44 acres horse ranch and hit gas in stead.

He is trying to convince me that we need to build a factory out there and build an oven/autoclave and power it with the natural gas.

Nice idea but I have to be near town for my son and it would be hard to find workers for composite fabrication particularly for aerospace hardware.:(

So for now, he will just have to commute out to us in Stockton/Lodi.

DDB

03-12-2008, 09:29 PM

'05 TDI Passat powered by B20
'00 Jeep Grand Cherokee
...and can't wait until I can go buy a BEV that's practical.

Dave

basjoos

03-14-2008, 09:48 PM

futura

03-14-2008, 09:50 PM

'97 Porsche Boxster (I bought on eBay "accidently")
'06 Volvo XC90 picked up from the factory in Sweden (R. Limbaugh made me do it)
'01 Lexus RX300 (if you got kids you got to have wheels)
'07 EV Bike 700W with Li-Ion pack (ride to work 3-4 days/week)
Cheers

futura

03-14-2008, 09:59 PM

My current ride is a 92 Honda Civic) CX that I have extensively modified to reduce its Cd to around 0.17 and averages 70mpg (85mpg highway, 55 mpg in town). I look forward to adding an Aptera to my stable of aero vehicles.

basjoos,
That is really cool. It seems to get such a boost in "in town" mpg you'd have to lower the weight in addition to the drag reduction..no?

It makes me think that much higher CAFE standards could be easily met without the difficult powerplant mods but just with some aero design and mass reduction.

Anyway, nice job.
Cheers

qpham63

03-15-2008, 02:12 AM

basjoos - nice job. Seems you have quite a bit of time on your hands and are very handy. Are you runing AC when driving usually? Turning that contraption off would increase mileage if you have not done so already. You are right up there with the Honda Insight.

Futura - '07 EV Bike 700W with Li-Ion pack (ride to work 3-4 days/week), What kind of set up is it? Here is my trike; 500W with 24V-20AH Li-Ion pack from Cyclone-USA. Got a second 350W kit for 2 wheel upright still in the bucket of parts stage.

Here is my 3 wheeler, follow this link (well, you will have to cut an paste and read from the bottom up) and please show us what your set up is like. www.sbii.blogspot.com set this up but have not updated much.

They are still toys compare to the Aptera though. Power out put, capacity, good aerodynamics...all in one package call the Aptera Typ-1 e.;)

basjoos

03-15-2008, 11:20 AM

Futura- the weight is near OEM (2080lbs), but I've improved my in town mileage by reducing my rolling resistance and by using hypermiling techniques.

qpham63- I rarely use the AC. About the only time I have it on is when I am decending a long steep hill and I need the additional engine braking.

There are some noticible differences between driving a very low Cd vehicle and driving a "normal" Cd vehicle. The normal Cd vehicle feels like it is always driving on a thin layer of mud (slows down faster when coasting, draggy). Also very little of the fine mist kicked up behind other vehicles impacts on the car and windshield, it flows right on past in the slipstream. Also very few smashed bugs on the front of the car. When driving on winter roads covered with salt. the car stays almost totally clean except in and right behind the wheel wells.

qpham63

03-15-2008, 01:15 PM

Futura- Also very little of the fine mist kicked up behind other vehicles impacts on the car and windshield, it flows right on past in the slipstream. Also very few smashed bugs on the front of the car. When driving on winter roads covered with salt. the car stays almost totally clean except in and right behind the wheel wells.

I would say you would need to let up on the accelerator sooner than normal cars as you would coast more with less loss of speed and use your brakes more as you get little or no help from drag.

I expect the Aptera Typ-1e would stay very clean for the same reason. I for one would love that. My current black CTS is a pain in the @$$ to keep clean so I wash it once in a while but try not to stress too much over it.

Any where you see dirt/dirty on your car is probably where you may want to improve by altering shape. The Aptera probably was designed with computer simulation with respect to air flow around it. Lacking an actuall wind tunel, perhaps you can use about 2-3 inches of yarn and tape them where the suspected turbulence is and have some one video tape you while you drive down the road. Flutter = turbulence. Either that or drive behind a vehicle that is burning oil:D

That said, 70MPG, you may already be on the other side of diminishing returns.;) but a perfectionist would not let that get in the way.

Else where on this forum we are discussing HOV lane access...if the possibility of not being allowed in these HOV lanes with out a passenger take some of you off the list, perhaps staying clean with little effort might put you back?

All things to consider. I wonder what other advantages we are over looking?

The composite structure designed properly is almost impervious to fatigue stress unlike metal structures. Composite will not corrode and from what I have seen the majority of the rear swing arm is aluminum. I am not sure what the battery cage and front suspension is but they are pretty well shielded and would be protected from being coroded even on salty road. So perhaps chassis and body life even on salted roads would be expected to be much greater than that of the normal Detroit, European and Asian steel vehicles.

Anyone want to comment on this or on other not easily seen or talked about advantages of the Aptera vehicles versus others?:)

This would go far to pull more people onto the reservation list.

Anyone reserved one lately? The number last week was 1338. What is it now? With gas ~$4/gal for the good stuff...interest must be high.

butter

03-15-2008, 01:18 PM

As a completely non-car-enthusiast who wouldn't have known this kind of thing -- wow, that's really neat! The stuff about bugs not hitting the windshield as hard (and thus sticking to it), mist flowing right over, etc. That is pretty freaking awesome. Of course it all makes sense if one's vehicle is simply more physically aerodynamic!

This reminds me of a little thing I read the other day (from the main Yahoo front page) (see, I'm not truly a car person) about some neato car show in Switzerland, and all of these neat Italian-Swiss companies came out with concept cars. One of them had some interesting coating applied to its windshield to completely eliminate any need for windshield wipers. They claimed that absolutely no dust or water would stay on the glass. I thought this would be a neat thing to add to the Aptera, but the article claimed this technology isn't mass produceable for another few years at least.

It also made me wonder, though, what about tree sap and bird poo that lands on the windshield as the car is parked? Going absolutely without wipers is kind of tricky. Anyway...

qpham63

03-15-2008, 01:37 PM

It also made me wonder, though, what about tree sap and bird poo that lands on the windshield as the car is parked? Going absolutely without wipers is kind of tricky. Anyway...

They wouldn't dare :mad: You would still want wipers but you will just use it less and extend your range. For the stuff that happens when you are parked which should be in full sun to allow the solar panels to run the fan/heat pump (please correct me some one if I am wrong) to keep the vehicle cool just keep some wet wipes (baby kind) to do the clean up.:)

Our son is 9 in a month and we still keep wet wipes in the car and at home...they are just so handy.:o

basjoos

03-15-2008, 09:16 PM

[QUOTE=qpham63]Anyone want to comment on this or on other not easily seen or talked about advantages of the Aptera vehicles versus others?:)
QUOTE]

Here's a list of differences I've noticed in driving an ultra-low Cd vehicle compared to a normal Cd vehicle:

There'd be a lot less windshield washer fluid being used (with streamlined vehicles, most of the bugs are swept right on past rather than impacting on the windshield and front of the car and there is no recirculating eddy behind the vehicle to coat the rear glass with dirt).

There'd be less use of the windshield wipers (while moving, most of the rain and snow are swept past the vehicle in the air stream), only the heavier rain droplets will impact.

It would be safer and you would have much better visibility while driving in traffic on wet, snowy, or dusty roads (low Cd vehicles leave a very minimal trail of airborne water, salt spray, dry snow, or dust in the air behind them). None of this barely seeing the semi through the thick trail of water spray it leaves behind it or trying to clear the salt spray off your windshield in subfreezing temperatures without your washer fluid adding to the frozen mess on your windshield. Dirt roads would be a lot less dusty.

If your engine dies on a fairly flat road at interstate speeds, you'll have several minutes of coasting time to decide what you want to do and where along the road you want to finally come to a stop.

Fewer birds and bugs would be joining the legion of road kill along the sides of the road (almost all of them are swept past the vehicle in the air stream rather than impacting on the vehicle).

It would take longer for normal traffic activity to sweep the fallen leaves, dry snow, and lightweight litter from the pavement.

It would be more comfortable for pedestrians and bicyclists sharing the sidewalk, shoulder, and roadway (low Cd vehicles don't produce that sudden shock wave of violently displaced air as they drive past).

Less business for the car wash. Streamlined cars need to be washed less often (with with the smooth air stream passing around them, there are less bugs, dirt,etc. impacting and getting stuck to the car's surfaces. The wheel wells are about the only places that get as dirty as on a conventional car).

More need for braking on the downhills, since a coasting low Cd vehicle gains speed on downgrades that a high Cd vehicle will lose speed on. But this would simply be road conditions causing you to lose some of the bonus mpg's that the low Cd of the vehicle is giving you access to.

And the most important difference between "normal" and ultra-low Cd vehicles is that the speed at which you begin to feel the wind load (the wind pushing back on your car and obviously trying to slow you down when coasting) is pushed up to a higher speed. In the typical pickup or SUV, you can start to feel the wind load at 60mph and it is very noticable at 70mph. In the typical car (and my car in its OEM state), you can start to feel the wind load at 65mph and is very noticable at 75mph. In my car now, I don't start to feel the wind load until I reach 90mph and it is somewhat noticable at 100mph (the fastest I have driven it). Since the Aptera has am even lower Cd than my car, I expect you would have to be going over 100mph before you started to feel its wind load, which makes me think that its stated max speed of 85mph is electronically limited or is a max rpm for the drive motor, rather then its drag limited maximum speed.

GCustom

03-15-2008, 09:23 PM

basjoos, do you have any info on your project?
I'd like to do this to a few vehicles.

basjoos

03-15-2008, 11:05 PM

basjoos, do you have any info on your project?
I'd like to do this to a few vehicles.

What kind of info are you looking for? Google "aerocivic" and "ecomodder" to find some articles about my car. Google "aerocivic" and "photobucket" to get to my photobucket account and see photos of my car at various stages of its modification process as it evolved to its current configuration. If you have any specific questions, just ask me.

LeeW

03-23-2008, 10:17 AM

I currently use a velomobiel Quest (Google search "velomobiel" for pictures) for short journeys (upto about 60 miles round trip). The average speed is about 20-22Mpg and it runs mostly on chocolate and gets an equivalent efficiency of about 1,200mpg.

bernardo7092

03-23-2008, 03:11 PM

I currently am driving a 1996 Mustang Cobra Convertible and a 2002 Ford Ranger which I use for my work.

Looking forward to getting the Aptera Hybrid.

Bernardo
Production Slot:#683

monkeypickle

03-23-2008, 10:59 PM

2004 Chevy Avalanche Z71
2005 Nissan Quest minivan
2007 Chevy Corvette Z06
1969 VW Beetle

chaosratt

03-23-2008, 11:37 PM

1995 Carrola DX 1.8L. Aprox 28-32 mpg (needs a tuneup!)
2007 Yamaha FZ6 600cc. Aprox 39-49 mpg (varies depending on traffic and riding habits.)

Tachy

03-24-2008, 06:12 AM

Hello! Welcome @ the aptera forum. Is it possible that I have seen you around @ the Loremo forum?

Yes, sure!

aptera1213

03-24-2008, 12:06 PM

i like vehicles with 3 wheels...

my current new ride...

http://web.mac.com/gavinmcc/iWeb/Site/untitled%20album_files/DSC06358.jpg

i also like two wheels as my other rides are a vespa and a cannondale

no cars for me till the aptera gets here

Brav

03-28-2008, 04:30 PM

Smart Fortwo highly modified - 55hp - 41-48mpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f282/ckreidel/Smart/img1144ya7.jpg

Noble M12 - 550hp - 0-60 3.2sec - 12-24mpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f282/ckreidel/My%20Noble/IMG_0705.jpg

Ferrari 360 - 420hp -11-18mpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f282/ckreidel/Ferrari/dpe2.jpg

66 Triumph Bonneville - 50hp - 10mpg on racegas :) oldie

Quite a wide variety, but thats how I like it! Smart is my daily driver. And yes, you guys will get twice the questions from cool and lame people alike.. hourly..

Brav

03-28-2008, 04:34 PM

.. The Bonneville.. more fun to ride than any modern bike.

Strange, said max 4 pics but I had 4.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f282/ckreidel/66%20Triumph/DSC00629.jpg

pottzio

03-30-2008, 12:52 PM

I am using Daewoo Tico for the cold days - 5L(combined) per 100km:

http://www.globalautoindex.com/images/cars/2076/1851/norm_30_1989-90_Lf-S.jpg

And Honda Innova on two wheels when weather permits - 2L(city) per 100km:
http://www.bikez.com/pictures/honda/2007/24483_0_1_2_anf%20125%20innova_Image%20credits%20-%20Honda.jpg

If I ever get an Aptera the Tico will have to go!!!

;)

Rogue6

03-31-2008, 03:19 AM

1996 BMW R1100GS
1997 Dodge RAM 1500
1999 Yamaha YZF-R6

onugs

03-31-2008, 12:16 PM

...................

wpatters

03-31-2008, 02:57 PM

I ride a Chinkara from Holland for short trips and a honda civic for longer trips.

www.pedersenbicycles.com/chinkara.htm

SpyderMike

04-11-2008, 01:38 AM

I have a problem:

2003 Triumph Bonneville
1966 VW Beetle
1971 VW Bus Campmobile
1955 Porsche Spyder replica
1985 Porsche 911 Carrera
1999 VW Passat
1999 Jeep Cherokee
2005 VW Beetle Turbo Convertible
1966 Ford GT40 MKII (Continuation)
2006 Cirrus SR22GTS

I like transportation vehicles...

Mike

appyfan

04-11-2008, 01:44 AM

ROCKIN' A 6 speed 2008 VW GTI BABY!

Also got a '73 beetle (I'm a big time herbie fan [old herbie movies not the new one])

evolutionmovement

04-16-2008, 08:10 PM

2006 Mazda3 5-door 5MT daily driver.

1990 Subaru Legacy wagon getting incredible mileage by not running in the garage while awaiting a possible Subaru diesel swap when they start becoming available (was waiting for a turbo engine swap, but gas prices changed that consideration).

Working on a diesel 3-wheel car vaguely along the lines of the Aptera, built from a Cessna 152 fuselage. What choice do I have when Aptera won't sell in MA yet? And it would have to come in something other than white as it looks too much like it should be swimming for a uterus in that color.

appyfan

04-16-2008, 10:31 PM

And it would have to come in something other than white as it looks too much like it should be swimming for a uterus in that color.

LMAO!

Man, you couldn't have been more spot on.:D

Blur

04-19-2008, 08:31 PM

Okay first a couple statements in my defense; this thing was purchased last year when gas was practically given away for free at around $2.35/gal.

Next statement in my continuing effort to ease the guilt; Wifey initially wanted an H2 and we actually test drove one, that I was able to talk her out of the "evil" GM product might be considered a moral victory of sorts.:o

That being said we actually love the car. 2007 Mercedes GL450 4.6 liter V-8 all-wheel drive 18mpg.

KarenRei

04-19-2008, 09:11 PM

And it would have to come in something other than white as it looks too much like it should be swimming for a uterus in that color

I really don't see the resemblance:

http://twistedphysics.typepad.com/cocktail_party_physics/images/2007/08/23/sperm_2.jpg

Not only is the shape way wrong, but "color" isn't applicable in a normal sense at those scales -- at least not via pigmentation. Visible light ranges from 380 to 750 nanometers. Sperm are 1-2 microns long, and structures like the head are tens of nanometers long -- much smaller than the wavelength of light. That's just too small to have inherent "color". Instead, you can get scattering. Depending on their macroscale structure, pure sperm could, for example, appear iridescent (change color depending on the angle viewed), like some bacterial films can. Not that I'd mind an iridescent Aptera ;) What people perceive as white is the seminal fluid which, being a liquid, has no inherent shape.

Basically, people are confusing cartoony images with reality. Just because people color sperm white and draw them with stubby, blended tails isn't a reflection on their actual appearance. If you wanted to "color" an Aptera to match a sperm, at the very least, it would have to be largely translucent, and the forward end would have to be more translucent than the rearward end. Also, the proportions are way, way, way wrong. Sperm tend to have ellipsoid heads that don't blend into the flagellum, which is very thin and dwarfs the head in length.

Anyways, back on topic. I've just heard this claim mentioned one too many times, and had to weigh in. An Aptera is a lot closer in appearance to, say, insects, cetaceans, some birds, etc. Certainly nothing with an ellipsoid head and a tail that dwarfs its body in length by orders of magnitude.

evolutionmovement

04-19-2008, 11:12 PM

You can't scientifically argue against an aesthetic opinion. Well, I suppose you can, but I don't really see the point. It's like arguing that red is the best color because the wavelength reacts with the cones in your eyes fastest. I'll still prefer blue. Some people see sheep in the clouds, others see mountains, some see clouds. More than a couple people I've shown pics of the car to have made the sperm comment so it's certainly not an uncommon association. In person, looking down on from above may be a different story (it does seem more bug-like in the overhead shots, particularly with the doors open), but I've yet to see one in person. I live in an area where I wouldn't need a reflective color to help the A/C anyway so I'm thinking a dark blue metallic would be nice. But then my Mazda and Subaru are both blue, so maybe something like British Racing Green.

Sorry for the OT.

appyfan

04-19-2008, 11:16 PM

Karen. Give it up man.

butter

04-19-2008, 11:52 PM

Karen. Give it up man.

Dude, chill, baby. Karen's just offering up a counter perspective, which to me is always welcome, however unpopular. I admit I enjoy chuckling at people's comparisons of the Aptera to a sperm cell, but you gotta admit, when the pot smoke clears and you're done stuffing twinkies and generic cheetos down your throat...Karen's actually right.

Now I preferred someone else's comparison (it was either LQuan or the other guy with a similar, Vietnamese-sounding name, sorry I can't remember him right now! -- and I'm Asian, so I have leeway to openly confuse the Asians) -- he said his wife/gf/friend said the Aptera looked like a particular fish they often cook!

(that would have been more effective if I could just find and quote what he said, deep in some old old thread)

Okay, end blather.

appyfan

04-20-2008, 02:02 AM

OoOoOo... Looks like someone's got a secret admirer! :D

Perhaps there are those of us who do not smoke pot, nor stuff generic cheetos or twinkies down our throat?

KarenRei

04-20-2008, 02:14 AM

he said his wife/gf/friend said the Aptera looked like a particular fish they often cook!

I remember that post. I did a google image search on the fish, and they were right -- there was a strong resemblance. :)

evolutionmovement

04-20-2008, 10:55 AM

Pot smoke? The only drugs I've ever taken were the ones for my wisdom teeth removal. You must just lack imagination not to be able to see it, whether you agree with the assessment or not. But what do I know about imagination - I'm just a fiction author and designer.

organic

04-20-2008, 12:38 PM

Dont have a "Daily Driver" work from home. But cars in the lot in back.

2004 Ford F350 Diesel
1974 Pinzgauer 710k
1959 Bug Eye Sprite
2005 Rx7
1988 323 gtx
1947 GMC bus.

The Bug Eye Sprite I've been working to turn Electric. I can not decide AC or DC.

KarenRei

04-20-2008, 02:04 PM

I'm just a fiction author and designer.

Oh, really? Neat. What genres? What house(s) are you published with?

evolutionmovement

04-20-2008, 02:25 PM

Literary fiction, cross genre. For misanthropes with a dark sense of humor. The first of a series should finally be out in a few weeks. Took years to find someone to publish and then to go through editing, but at least it gave me the time to work on the follow up so they'll be ready to go if the first one does OK. Penworks is the publisher. They're a start-up.

KarenRei

04-20-2008, 03:02 PM

Hmm. Penworks isn't in the Preditors and Editors list, and they have almost everyone there. Must be really new.

Update: I just found their webpage; this:

http://penworkspublishers.com/pricing.html

...makes it sound like they're a vanity press. In the normal literary world, money only goes from the publisher to you (or publisher to agent to you, depending), and never in the opposite direction. Any press that charges authors for *anything* is generally looked at in a very negative light by the literary community. Often as scams. To qualify for the AAR, for example, agents aren't even allowed to *suggest* editors to authors; it's seen as a conflict of interest. Why such concern? Because there are a hundred times more people who want to write books than will ever make it onto the shelves at a Borders in their lifetime. And they get desperate. And will pay money. Often lots of it. Which inherently creates a conflict of interest for those unscrupulous enough to take it, since it's a lot easier to take an author's money than to actually try to get them some of those 1-in-a-hundred deals good enough to make it into Borders nationwide.

Watch yourself. Check P&E for all agents and publishers. Read up on publication blogs, such as the eminently famous Miss Snark (misssnark.blogspot.com). Watch yourself. A lot of people make money convincing authors that they're doing them a favor when they're really taking their money knowing very well that they're not going to make the author successful -- or even be able to. The literary world tends to shut out any agent or publisher that takes money from authors in order to discourage this sort of activity.

I don't say this to be mean -- just the opposite. This is just from experience following the publishing world. The literary world is cutthroat.

SpyderMike

04-20-2008, 05:00 PM

"Bug Eye Sprite"

my first car ever was a 1969 AH Sprite (post bug eye) with the 1275cc - real fun. Learned my basic mechanic skills on that thing. oh, and electrical skills (dash went up in smoke once).

gg222

04-20-2008, 05:14 PM

Honda Civic
Honda CRV

evolutionmovement

04-20-2008, 08:48 PM

Karen,
Thank you for your concern and I'm well aware of scams having several friends in the publishing industry. While they have published some books essentially as a vanity (which they are trying to get away from), the deal I have with them is different and the editing has made this book far better than it was when I sent it to them. The cover art is by James Vining, a published graphic artist, and the final product should be perfect for the demographic. It has taken far longer than it would have were it a large publisher I went through, but I don't believe the product would be any better. The hope is that I can sell enough to finally be able to get a large publisher to read something and the great thing is that I can bypass parasites like agents for the time being, likely permanently, as I doubt I'll ever have the popularity to need one. What's costing me money is the website which I hope I can get up soon.

Sorry to muddy up the topic for everyone else!

KarenRei

04-20-2008, 10:31 PM

Just wanting to make sure you know the risks you're taking when you pay to be published, and how the literary world strongly frowns upon it :)

If you ever want someone bounce a chapter off for feedback, let me know.

Again, sorry to muddy the topic, also :)

Blur

04-20-2008, 11:06 PM

Sorry to muddy up the topic for everyone else!

No apology needed guys, I enjoy the occasional diversion. After all we can only discuss the relative merits of the Apteras' ultra low coefficient of drag for so much.

SpyderMike

04-20-2008, 11:18 PM

After all we can only discuss the relative merits of the Apteras' ultra low coefficient of drag for so much.

I might put a sail on mine to take advantage of the tailwinds near Panoche...

KarenRei

04-20-2008, 11:58 PM

Lol. Now if that wouldn't be an attention-getter, I don't know what would ;)

SpyderMike

04-21-2008, 01:26 PM

I am hoping that as I pass through the bow wave of a semi truck it won't collapse my spinnaker...

therod

04-22-2008, 12:47 AM

Currently driving a 2000 Volkswagen Jetta TDI... Just got my first 60mpg tank.

Aptera Typ-1 h #2000

DHercyk

04-26-2008, 08:35 PM

I have a 2004 Mercedes C230 Kompressor about 24 - 30 MPG and a Chevy Avalanche 15 - 20 MPG. I could dump the C230 for many reasons especially because it is black and I live in So. Utah near Zion NP where it is already starting to get warm. But I do not see getting rid of the Avalanche anytime soon as we have a cabin at Brian Head, Utah about 1 and a half hours away and I don't think the Aptera would navigate too well getting there. The cabin is at 9300 ft and lots of dirt and mud around. Plus, I am a weekend warrior sort and seem to always need a bag of concrete here and there. I am torn between the VentureOne and the Aptera and just love them both for the same reason and the difference between the two. Huh?

organic

04-26-2008, 10:57 PM

DHercyk,

should look at some of the little electric trucks. Tiger has a 4x4 hybrid. Never seen one my self. http://www.tigertruck.com/

daddio

07-06-2008, 08:38 PM

- White 2003 MB C230 Sport Coupe 1.8 l Supercharged. Automatic .We have reached 37mpg but that is strictly highway, otherwise ! 32mpg. Can't pry my wife away from this one!
She said should would drive the Aptera though...

- Fiji Blue 2006 HONDA Civic Si 2.2 l i-VTEX DOHC. Six speed... A pocket rocket and 32 mpg If we can get an Aptera it will most likely replace the MB in her old age...

rotus8

07-06-2008, 10:40 PM

Mazdaspeed3. Gets 22 - 25 MPG, but gets there very very quickly.

Lotus7 clone with 215ci aluminum block engine. Gets about 15 MPG on a good day, but is even quicker. Loves Laguna Seca, Thunderhill, and Willow Springs.

1936 Dodge Pickup truck. Infinite MPG 'cause the engine hasn't run in years.

Aptera1171

07-06-2008, 10:41 PM

2001 Daewoo Lanos (for the college student - expect to replace this with a Yellow/Black smart pure soon :sick0020:

2003 VW Jetta TDI (avg. 47 mpg):happy0025:

2007 Honda Fit (just made a 41 mpg trip Fresno/Santa Barbara and back! -- but a lot of travel at 60 mph to make that 41 mpg):love0014:

wolfdoggy

07-06-2008, 10:58 PM

Jeep Wrangler 21 mpg
Ford Ranger truck 28 mpg

JimmyDreams

07-06-2008, 11:09 PM

2005 BMW 330CiC with performance package. 81K miles on the odo About 22.7mpg if I baby it. 21.5mpg if I lead foot it.

1998 Ford Explorer v8 all wheel drive. 15mpg city, 17 highway 156K on the odo.

JimmyD

Telchar

07-06-2008, 11:15 PM

1990 Miata 1.6L manual, gets 27-36 mpg. Acceleration is 0-60 in 9.1 seconds, so probably about the same as the typ-1.

gistmarrs

07-07-2008, 11:23 AM

2008 F450
2007 Ninja 250

sk8ndad

07-07-2008, 11:45 AM

1998 Volkswagen Beetle
2008 Buick Lacrosse

Reellucky

07-07-2008, 07:30 PM

2000 Ford Excursion (V-10 gas - the 10 stands for 10mpg), but I pull a trailer a lot
2000 Lincoln Continental (Wife's car), she thinks she is getting the Aptera for work
1982 Delorean DMC-12 (Yes, I actually drive it and it is in near mint condition)

My new Type 1-H will share the garage with the Delorean :)

Aptera#1434

07-07-2008, 08:29 PM

2001 Honda Insight Hybrid, CVT,50-52 mpg, 115,000 miles.

2001 Honda Insight Hybrid, 5-spd, 55-63 mpg, 222,000 miles. (no oil burning between changes)

1999 Toyota Tacoma 4-spd automatic, 19-22 mpg(used for hauling mainly) 236,000 miles, all original drive train. (doesn't use a drop of oil)

It may be overkill, but I change the oil and filter in each vehicle every 3-4,000 miles. (cheaper to change oil more frequently, rather than having to rebuild the engine)

I do 80% of the repair work myself on these vehicles.

necro

07-07-2008, 09:29 PM

1972 Cadillac De Ville ( broken carb) 5-6 MPG
1984 Toyota Supra
1994 Honda Del Sol
2007 Lotus Exige S

NeilBlanchard

07-07-2008, 10:12 PM

Hello,

2005 Scion xA, ~58,800 miles

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/scion-xa-aero-mods-2969.html

gistmarrs

07-08-2008, 11:42 AM

2007 Lotus Exige S

Nice ride!

BryanSR

07-08-2008, 01:00 PM

1. 1996 Tauras SHO 1st year V-8 still get 23 to 28 mpg which not too bad for V-8 auto
2. 2000 Ranger ext cab 4 dr. my "work" truck 20+mpg
3. 1993 Mercury Capri Convertible Non Turbo and it gets 30 mpg.

Apt3448

07-08-2008, 01:06 PM

1996 lincoln town car, gets 16.3 mpg, has almost 80,000 on it.

wcabdefense

07-08-2008, 01:27 PM

2007 Dodge Caliber R/T 8K (Lifetime Power Train Warranty) :happy0025:
1999 Mercedes E300 Turbo Diesel 228K (I have to get to 300K to amortize cost)
1969 VW Bug ~ 470K? (I always wanted to own one)

airboy

08-18-2008, 02:32 AM

2003 Toyota Prius (daily driver)
1995 Honda Civic (backup car)
1960 Nash Metropolitan (fun car!)

Carbon Saver II

08-18-2008, 11:35 AM

1993 Mustang 5.0 Coupe, open track preped - Daily Driver.

Blue Fake Cobra with a 1991 5.0 drive train modified from a LX hatchback - street licensed drive to the track play and drive home. The avatar is Father's day at Laguna Seca in the Corkscrew, and my younger son was on board for just that one session. nice :)

2007 Prius - Wife's car and weekend driver. Seems to be getting 48.5 mpg, 50 mile trips 2 a day, 4 days a week, primiarily highway.

1989 Mazda MX-6, aka fireball, she cut a transmission hose and caught fire once, but is repaired - deep back-up car.

Later, Dennis

Ceazar77

08-18-2008, 11:45 AM

Recently sold my VW Golf TDI when I no longer needed to drive to work (a shuttle has been set up). Now I'm sharing my roommates vehicle ... a 1998 Chev Blazer for trips outside the city. I recently drove back home (from the Bay Area to Canada) which ended up costing $1,000 in gas. As soon as I got back I put in my reservation for the Aptera ;).

Matt

08-18-2008, 12:05 PM

2007 Civic Si - Daily Driver
2007 Ridgeback - utility / dog's car
1997 Porsche 911 C4S - wife's car
1973 Porsche 911 (RS look) Track day car

sstark

08-18-2008, 02:32 PM

2006 Saturn Vue
2006 Mustang
1962 Pontiac Tempest Convertible
1980 Ferrari 308 Gtsi

wpatters

08-18-2008, 03:06 PM

M5 tandem

http://www.m5-ligfietsen.nl/site/EN/Models/Tandem

When we go together.

Chinkara

http://www.pedersenbicycles.com/chinkara.htm

When I ride alone.

We have gravitated towards Dutch wheels.

Also

Honda Civic
Mazday rx8

Bill and Dian

See bikes and the first human powered helicopter at:
http://www.calpoly.edu/~wpatters/
Single Track controls at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~wm.patterson/

ApteraH@3535

08-18-2008, 08:10 PM

1986 and 1987 Toyota Camrys, with total 400,000 miles
We figure one of them will collapse in a few more years
So I hope the hybrid isn't delayed

Richard

msdickerson

08-19-2008, 11:08 AM

I am new and this is my first post. I drive a 2002 Prius. I was very proud to be one of the first in the Albany NY area to be driving one. It now has 165,000+ miles on it, and still going strong. I cannot wait for the Aptera though. I would love to be one of the first in the east to get one....

BrianK

08-19-2008, 02:04 PM

Don't know how I've managed to miss this thread for so long, but...

I drive a '91 Toyota MR2 (http://hero.com/~briank/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/img_3102.jpg) for my daily commute and a '05 Lotus Elise (http://hero.com/~briank/elise/possible/elise.jpg) when I want to be entertained (and am not going to be sitting in traffic).

Both cars get about 24 mpg around town & close to 30 on the freeway. Both have Toyota drive-trains. Both are red. Both are mid-engined. Both have only two seats. The Toyota has 2 trunks. The Lotus goes faster. :)

Anecdotally, the Lotus replaced my old '66 Meyer's Manx (clone) (http://hero.com/~briank/buggy/images/IMG_0219.JPG). not very good gas milage, not very fast, not very reliable, not very comfortable, not very safe or practical, but loads of fun.

Aptera1288

08-23-2008, 11:36 AM

To get to work I am driving a 2004 Prius with 102000 miles on it.
I am getting 52mpg normally but when I pull my kayak on its trailer
I get 44mpg. That varies depending on how may hills I have to
go over.

On weekends I am on my Kline Altitude Pro Mountain Bike.
it also has a trailer (BOB) and we do most of our shopping
putting the bags in the trailer. (When we are not riding in the
mountains. ;-) )

Carbon Saver II

08-23-2008, 12:33 PM

Design, design, design is the key to wind resistance and mileage, perhaps:

http://www.bre2.net/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=B&Product_Code=bre2_orca_trailer&Category_Code=car_trailers

Pete Brock, (the same Pete that was the Chief Driving Instructor and designer of the Daytona Cobra Coupe that won Shelby the international championship back in the early 60's, and who still today is a very active photojournalist for car magaines and is the designer of the Superformance version of the Brock coupe - red at the top of the page in the URL above) designed this trailer for car hauling. Talked to him last weekend and the mileage improvement over other trailers is huge. The fin at the top does a lot of interesitng things to improve the tow. He is really a very nice guy, and we have talked several times over the years.

Maybe that drop from 52 mpg to 40ish could be improved with a similar design to clean-up the air around the towed items.

P.S. Our little Prius is only a year old with 28k on the clock and is getting 48.5 mpg. What did you do to get up to 52 mpg? Flatlands, of hilling in your area of driving? Notice the hills effect mileage....

Carbon Saver II

08-23-2008, 12:49 PM

Sorry, this URL is a better description with more of the design details on the BRE Orca trailer:

http://www.bre2.net/pdfs/bre2_orca_brochure_2008_09.pdf

Later, Dennis

Aptera1288

08-23-2008, 02:31 PM

My work commute is 70 miles per day, 95% in carpool lanes
with stickers. Was getting 48-50 mpg with cruse control set at 66mph
now I am moving over to right hand lanes when traffic is light and
setting the cruse control at 60mph. I change lanes to get behind
large SUV's and trucks when I can About 30% of my commute is like
that.

I have been reading the hypermiler posts at the CleanMPG forums. They
are adovcating accelerating resonably fast to keep the gas motor at
peak torque rather than accelerating slowly. That seems to have helped.

My commute is pretty flat starts at 300 feet and ends at 5 feet above sea
level when I get to work. (probably have to move our office as sea
levels rise. ;-0 ) If I go into work on a Saturday I notice that I do about
1-2 mpg less probably due to the lack of cars in front of me.

I am planning on the same type of driving style for the Aptera
when I get it. We have a 2.7Kw grid tied solar system so it pays to minimize
the electrical consumption.

Hopping I can get sticker for the Aptera.... I actually have two sets for
my Prius one of which is sitting in a drawer, but that is another story.

evolutionmovement

08-23-2008, 07:12 PM

Ever put the kayak on the roof of the Prius? I'm curious as to what would hurt mileage more - the trailer or roof-mounted toys.

TheAeronut

09-19-2008, 06:13 PM

Just found this thread.

1990 Honda CRX Si with 245,000 mi on the clock.
Milage varies - has been as low as 30 MPG towing my sailboat from Houston to Dallas. Yes, towing a trailer.
As high as 42 MPG on a trip driving mostly about 70...
Typically - 36-37 MPG mixed driving and about 40 on those long trips.

I have been looking at cars for a couple of years now, conisdering a replacement for my ageing old faithful. One of the rules I have set for myself is that I should improve MPG, and really Really REALLY do NOT want to go down in MPG. I have been frustrated in my search, as the Prius (which was at the top of my list before I found the Aptera) is one of the VERY FEW cars available today that fits within my rules. No problem, as I actually like the Prius - but not nearly as much as I like the Aptera! Now, if Honda just made a hybrid Fit, it would be on my list just behind the Prius - and just ahead of the standard Fit.

I hope that my old faithful CRX holds out long enough for me to get my Aptera... I don't like buying cars.............

J.P.

zguitar71

09-20-2008, 10:10 AM

I currently drive 2 cars a total of 3500 miles a year. Missoula is not very big and I live 1.5 miles from work so I walk or ride 90% of the time regardless of the weather. My main transport is a `87 Toyota 2wd truck. it has 240,000 miles on it and running strong. I get around 20 mpg with it. My other car is a `71 Datsun 240Z. The miles are unknown because I have done so many changes to the car. It is not an Earth friendly car. I have a 2.8 motor with a big cam and 3 big carbs on it. It weighs 2290 lbs and requires 100 octane due to the high compression. It is very fast and fun and if I drive 65 I can get 30 mpg but if I have fun with it I get about 12 mpg.

I have been considering turning the 240 into an ev. I have researched it quite a bit and found some people that have an electric 280z. I do not have the money right now but hopefully in 5-7 years I will. I am also hoping lithium batteries will be cheaper at that point. The point is to have an eco car that is very quick. I do not need a long range, mostly the car is for having fun and autocrossing.