[Matsu]

http://www.mp3.piaggio.com/index_eng.html

Those wacky Italians have done it again. First the Vespa, and now a true commercial TTW product. Gentlemen warm your quiches!!! It's like a Helix, except it's actually pretty cool.

I'd love to see an offroad polaris version of this with a big mud busting rear tire on the back, a centrally located engine, and 12" of ground clearance. It'd be a cross between an ATV and a motocrosser...

[T-Man]

First I said to myself, "Why not put two tires in the back?", and then I saw how they function when on turns; quite nice and interesting. I like its design... but cars still fit me a little more.

[Matsu]

Stability under breaking and turn-in is better with two front wheels as opposed to two back wheels.

[torifile]

I had a push scooter like that a few years ago. It was great. The 2 wheels in the front made it really easy to steer and stable.

[Matsu]

Italjet had a 3 wheeler similar in concept a few years ago. I don't think it sold very well, but Italjet is no Piaggio. I think that design used front swingarms BTW...

I could see a future full of three wheel tilting "Bubble Cars". This thing doesn't require the same gyro stabilization as the Carver -- A slight bump up in size to accomodate comfortable seating for two (tandem) with a fighter-copter type canopy wih side eggshell-like doors, and you could have a VERY low drag HWY cruiser capable of some serious speed...

[Banana]

You know, if we pased a law mandating that every US citizen must trade in their SUV for a bubble car which is very small, we'd be solving three major problems in one fell swoop:

1) environmental problems from those gas guzzling SUVs
2) traffic congestion is significantly reduced because you can fit more of those in same road
3) everyone realize that they have to drop their flab of fats just to fit in comfortably, so get serious about eating right and keeping their weight.

But it's going to be a dream.

[Matsu]

The technology for a bubble car is pretty close too.

http://www.innovator.mosquito.net.nz/mbbs2/index.asp

See the shape of the bubble for this ultralight copter. In good weather a shape like it could be used, without doors. In winter, doors could be added. Minimal frontal area, could drive three abreast in the space of a full size car lane, but also produce both mileage and speed, not to mention a lot of fun at being able to tilt over quiet dramatically. Something like the notion expressed here http://www.moebius.es/ccalleja/index.htm Click through for some examples with two rear wheels tilting...

However, a bit taller, with room for two (tandem, motorcycle-style seat.)

[thegelding]

the thing is piaggio has it backwards...they are making a 250 cc model and a 125 cc model...they are bringing the 125cc to the states...

now in the states we have wide open spaces and a need for speed...i want the 250 here...or better yet a 400 or 500 cc model...now that i would buy the day they sold them

g

ps, i've been following this for months...back when it was the X2...i like that name better also....love the way these handle and turn...would make a great second scooter for me, just i've been thinking of getting a maxi scoot, this wouldn't be big enough for my 80 mph highway needs and i've already got my stella for city drivin

[chucker]

And here I was thinking this is where we bash Fraunhofer IIS.

[Matsu]

Yeah, there's the 460cc Master engine that would probably fit, and give you a genuine 100Mph top end... but it's not available...

[drewprops]

It's got a FACE!!!
CRLF
They want you to notice that.

[Hassan i Sabbah]

Holy god, the music over the video is catastrophically cheesy.

[Dave]

On the topic of strange vehicles, did anyone else see this article over at CNN about a tank-tread motorcycle? It's called the "Hyanide". I think it'd prolly be fine for snow or sand, but I'm not sure how it would handle on the road.

[blakbyrd]

Originally Posted by Dave

That's awesome!

[Dorian Gray]

Well, I'd never buy the MP3, but it has been a stunning success for Piaggio in the couple of years it's been on the market. I would not have expected it to be such a success, because most of these prototype-like vehicles aren't even brought to market, much less sold successfully. Respect to Piaggio for getting the engineering so right from the start.

The MP3 is now available in three versions: a 125 cc with 15 horsepower, a 250 cc with 22.5 horsepower, and a 400 cc with a whopping 34 horsepower. In Paris you see them absolutely everywhere. It's not unusual to see two or three MP3 scooters parked beside each other, not by design but because they're simply so common.

[Mav5]

Originally Posted by Dave

Wow! Quite awesome. I've never ridden on a snow mobile, but I bet this is so much more fun