Posted on 07/26/2010 1:50:58 PM PDT by Red in Blue PA
Would you drive a car made out of foam? What if it got 100 miles to the gallon and could save lives?
It's called the Spira4u, and it's one of the more curious vehicles that have been competing for the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize, a competition to see who can design the best 100-miles-per-gallon car.
The competition looks like an episode of the Wacky Races cartoon -- with three-wheelers, space-age designs, converted sports cars and sedate sedans using a hodgepodge of technologies and fuels. But the goal is a serious one: $10 million in prize money, not to mention the possibility of reducing our addiction to oil.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Does anyone seriously think foam is a good idea?
Lunacy.
My Harley Electraglide would destroy this in a crash.
No. But any eco-whacko who wants to, well... more power to 'em.
NSFW language :
Demolition Man, “Securefoam”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnyhkBU1yaw
As long as EVERY car is made of foam, it would work.
Perhaps OBAMA can just issue a Presidential Order requiring METAL CLUNKERS to be scrapped, and everyone has to buy new FOAM CARS.
And some carbon credits to offset the use of petroleum in making the foam shell.
So you could dissolve the whole thing with a Super-Soaker full of acetone then?
I can’t wait to drive the new 1.1L Paper Cup.
On the serious side, for many years, and even now, most FRONT and REAR bumpers on AUTOS are just plastic backed by styrofoam.
They’re so cute!!!/s
While I’m not trying to create an argument, but depending on the type of foam, foam can be a very safe material. I had a workshop in a lab that specialized in the foams used to protect nuclear warheads. Some of them can sustain thousands of pounds per square inch.
I’m not saying that I would just get into any car made of any foam, but I think to reject it’s use based on the premise that it’s “foam,” would not be the best idea. Afterall, Bronze was the must have material before steel (in it’s various alloys) then aluminum and titanium, and plasticrete etc. Materials science is constantly innovating, and I would want more specifics. It could be safer than steel, with the right other materials. Just saying.
Besides Burt Rutan?
“In a Yugo” comes to mind.
What good is great gas mileage if the car is a death trap?
Does anyone seriously think foam is a good idea?
Oh, free for all democrats and assorted leftists.
This reminds me of the SNL commercial parody about the “Adobe” car, the “car made out of clay”.
I would post a link, but I don’t find one on Youtube. It was darn funny, and they had actually made one of clay that had a bumper that could be molded back after denting.
Actually foam might not be a bad idea, the right kind of foam molded around a metal frame can be really strong, use soft foam on the interior and you’ve got airbag everywhere. It would have to be done right, but it’s not an immediately bad idea.
Great. More crap I have to pick out of the brush guard on my F-150.
“Does anyone seriously think foam is a good idea?”
Yeah. Metrosexuals!/s;)
I can remember when they (not the metrosexuals) were thinking about NUCLEAR powered cars!
Exactly. The foam won't scratch the paint finish on my sport ute.
Saturday Night Live's The Adobe Car
Spokesman: These days, everyone's talking about the Hyundai, and the Yugo. Both nice cars, if you've got $3,000 or $4,000 to throw around. But, for those of us whose name doesn't happen to be Rockefeller, finally there's some good news - a car with a sticker price of $179. That's right, $179. The name of the car?
Adobe. The sassy new Mexican import that's made out of clay. German engineering and Mexican know-how helped create the first car to break the $200 barrier. At this price, you might not expect more than reliable transportation - but, brother, you get it! Extra features: like the custom contour seats, or the beverage-gripping dash. And the money you save isn't exactly small change!
Jingle:
"Hey, hey, we're Adobe!
The little car that's made out of clay!
We're gonna save you some money
that you can spend in some other way!
Hey, hey, we're Adobe!
Hey, hey, we're Adobe!
Adobe!"
[ show Adobe driver get into a fender-bender. She casually steps out of the vehicle and uses her hands to mold her bumper back into its proper shape, in under six minutes! ]
Spokesman: Adobe. You can buy a cheaper car. But I wouldn't recommend it!
Announcer: Not approved for street use in some states. No warranty either expressed or implied. All sales final.
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