Will This Wingless Insect Take Over Our Highways?

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   Poppa Bluesposted 14 years ago

   The Aptera, which means insect without wings, is about to be launched into production, if they can get the financing to go forward. I wonder how well it will do in the snow?
   
   http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_c … -unveiled/
   
   
   

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      Brenda Durhamposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      That is one silly-lookin' car!
      
      You mean it doesn't fly too?
      
      (I saw a news segment about a car that converts to a plane, a few months back....)

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      James Lposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      maybe we'll start having traffic jams in the sky and yelling at birds when they run red lights

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   William R. Wilsonposted 14 years ago

   "Aptera President and CEO Paul Wilbur says the company is awaiting the U.S. Department of Energy’s decision on Aptera’s application for a $184-million loan from the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program. "
   
   A loan from the government?  Isn't that socialism?

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      Poppa Bluesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yes it is! But is it right to take over GM and Chrysler and not help out a fledgling auto maker that could help us decrease our dependency on foreign oil? Might that be seen as the big bad government eliminating it's competition?
      
      Ideally, government should stay out of private business. Their role is only to be sure there isn't trade restrictions across state lines.

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         I am DB Cooperposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         To be fair, GM paid back their government loan with interest, so in effect that bailout (socialism, if you will) saved thousands of American jobs at no long-term cost to the American taxpayer.

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            Poppa Bluesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            To be accurate, no they didn't! What they did pay back came out of the funds we gave them in the first place, and the government still owns 60% of the company. Until GM goes public and the government sells it's holdings their still indebted to the US Taxpayers.

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      Mishaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, it is, William!

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3. 90

   Urbane Chaosposted 14 years ago

   You have to admit - that is one wicked car.  I could see myself cruisin' down the road in that thing.
   
   I just wonder how long it will be until someone decides to slap a bunch of bumper stickers on it.

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   Rochelle Frankposted 14 years ago

   Looks like the guy is wondering where to put his bag of groceries.

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      LarasMamaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Looks like a scooter, a plane and some futuristic car had a baby - and the baby had birth defects.

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   earnestshubposted 13 years ago

   Not a chance! It has far to much width at the front and would be kerb crashed and the wheel alignment destroyed once a day.
   Efficiency is about weight but this is taking the idea too far that way. Just like the compressed air car that was gonna be all over our roads this one is bound for the flop department I'm afraid.

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   MikeNVposted 13 years ago

   Vega, Pinto, AMC Pacer... all nicely comparable attractive vehicles.
   
   What can you put in this thing besides one or two people.  Americans like cars they can carry gear in... that's why SUV's were so successful.
   
   But hey it looks like a Stimulus type of Job Creation company that will likely fail to deliver.
   
   At $372,000 per job created... I'm thinking this is exactly the type of loan the Government would approve.
   
   And to those who are Duped into believing GM has paid back their loans... time to stop drinking the Kool-aid the media is serving.
   
   GM LOST $3.4 Billion Q4 2009. They showed less than $1 Billion profit Q1 this year.  The first profit in over 20 Quarters.  They still owe in excess of $40 Billion.  GMAC also received over $18 Billion none of which has been paid back.
   
   And to top it off of the 200,000 employees in GM now only 77,000 are in the United States.
   
   Furthermore all the small businesses that got screwed by the GM Bankruptcy didn't get any bailout.  Lear for example manufactured Automotive Seating.  80,000 jobs gone!!!  And they no longer manufacture seats in the United States.
   
   If you believe what you see in commercials and on the nightly news then you are the perfect SUCKER for Team Obama.  That's exactly what they want... feed the Kool-Aid to the ignorant masses.
   
   GM is a failure and will continue to fail. Their recent sales increase has been heavily financed by FREE Government money from GMAC... which will never be paid back.
   
   As soon as all the Government support subsides and the kick backs go away and the people realize they got duped into cars with poor resale value the company will once again crash.
   
   A recent Worst Cars Report based on JD Powers and Consumer Reports had 7 GM Models in the bottom 10.

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   Greek Oneposted 13 years ago

   does it come in blue?

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   habeeposted 13 years ago

   Hey, I thought Vegas were kinda cute!

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9. 81

   earnestshubposted 13 years ago

   I would not put a dime into this vehicle, and anyone who does should go back to engineering classes. Have you seen the front wheel track?
   This thing is impractical to the point of being useless.

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      wychicposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Maybe they're relying on the majority of consumers never having gone to engineering class?
      
      Personally, even the Geo Metro made me nervous...if hitting a deer will kill all passengers, it simply can't be used here because the deer still like hiding behind blind corners. I shudder to think what might happen if they discover there are cars they can win against.

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         earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I guess you are right about that! It always amazes me that governments buy into these ideas without knowing a damn thing about practicalities of engineering. The Metro is a worry, but you certainly would need more than a wheel alignment if you hit a deer with this one. In making the front track so wide the front end is hanging out like the outriggers on a boat. No structural work will compensate for the fact that this thing would collapse if you hit a curb. It is a joke mechanically.
         Quite simply, like the air car, they did not think it through.

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