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Handling
Performance
Usability
Feelgood factor
Readers' rating
2.5
By Jonny Smith
First Drives
11 October 2007 10:20
Weird yes, electric no. It's a petrol-fed, twin-cylinder featherweight city car that claims 65mpg. On paper the vital stats of the Microcar seem to make sense: low weight, low emissions, low insurance, low running costs and tepid performance. Hell, it's not even classed as a car – it's a quadricycle.
The Microcar is manufactured by the Groupe Bénéteau, a French company better known for boat building. It started building small cars when France introduced a law that states you don't need a licence to drive certain small cars. They seem to be popular in rural Spain and other places where people basically want a scooter with a roof. For Almond farmers and ambitious/stubborn families, there is a LWB four-seater version available, which is 275mm longer. Or a LWB two-seat version if you're greedy.
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Microcar MC1 (2007) CAR review
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dgate says
RE: Microcar MC1
Andrew you don't do this little car justice,I can remember when BMW had a one cylinder engine and a single door at the front,you obviousy can't. The (French term) quadricycle has a place in the motoring world just as motorcycles and other forms of powered vehicles do.This is a fledging industry producing a product that is probably more relevant in todays environment than a Range Rover.We are all going to have to re-assess our transport needs and use vehicles that just do the job required and no more. For some the quadricycle would be ideal,not everyone requires a "chainsaw to cut butter". I have had a rich motoring past and have enjoyed a wide varity of motoring experiences due to having an open mind where car types are concerned.Safety is not paramount or I wouldn't get out of bed,wouldn't ride a bike,wouldn't fly etc etc.I survived the era when safety was not even considered in cars,no seat belts,air bags etc. So lighten up and check out the various forms of three and four wheelers coming onto the market that re-invent the car since it has become rather booring in recent years.
23 December 2008 18:01
andrewkelsey says
Quadricycle....not a nice safe car then is it?
Unless you plan on changing the name of your magazine why are we even considering this contraption? Like the Wossymobile G-Wiz it is only legal in the UK because it uses a loophole to get around our crash safety standards. If I were in the market for a little 4 seater I'd be thinking about the Mitsubishi MiEV or even the petrol version of the same car, which is on sale now, if you can get one. At least those are properly developed and crash tested cars. If our government had any sense both the G-Wiz and the Microcar would be banned unless and until they can be made to meet the same safety standards as other cars.... quadricycle! Don't make me laugh...what is one of those in the 21st Century?
04 January 2008 15:32
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