I think it is only right that Uncle Sam found a way to qualify the Aptera for Federal high mileage vehicle funds by legaly defining it as a "enclosed three-wheeled cars that can average at least 75 mpg (or equivalent, for plug-in models) and are designed to carry at least two adults." All well and good. But did you you know that there are now four-wheel motorcycles being developed in Europe? There's the $65K, 167 HP BMW k1200 powered GG Quadster (Michael Jordan owns two.): However, it doesn't even hold a candle to the $285K, 500HP, BMW V- 12 powered Wazuma Bio V-12: OK, Uncle Sam concedes a 3-wheel car. I wonder how likely it is that there will ever be a legally/regulatory recognized 4-wheel motorcycle. Especially since the Ariel Atom allegedly is street legal in the USofA: Links: Three-Wheelers Will be Eligible for DOE Funds The GG Quadster - a four-wheeled, 167-horsepower quad bike for the road Faster and Faster: Lazareth Wazuma: 500bhp BMW V12-powered quad Welcome to Ariel Atom
Not without major revisions to DOT, EPA and NHTSA regulations. 3 wheels has always been considered a motorcycle, thus avoiding all the safety and emissions requirements of cars. If they try to define vehicles by other than wheel count, I can't imagine our government being able to handle such a complex concept ("OK, it has one, two...two wheels. The book says that's a motorcycle...").
The Aptera makes perfect sense, and it's great news that the government has found a way to help its production along. But that Wazuma aberration only proves there are no limits to man's automotive insanity.
Oops! In the 4-wheeled motor cycle offerings, I failed to include the American made, $555K, 500 HP, V-10 Viper powered Tomahawk: Fully operational, but not street legal. "Donald Poindexter, Jr., noted that the Tomahawk isn’t really a motorcycle, at least not by American standards: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proclaims that a motorcycle can have no more that 3 wheels on the ground during normal operation. 'For the Tomahawk to have been sold in the U.S. for road use, it would have had to pass all of the automobile safety standards. Had the engineers replaced one of the tire pairs (either front or back) with a single tire (for a total of three), it would have been a motorcycle, although I think the lights might have been in violation of the regulations.' " And some interesting historical precedent for the Tomahawk, the 1935 Plymouth 6 cylinder flathead powered world record attempt bike: Plymouth motorcycle And as a 2-wheled wonderment, the 2009 motorcycle world land speed record setter at 367 MPH (two-way average), the BUB Seven Streamliner: Links: Allpar.com : Dodge Tomahawk motorcycle introduction BUB 7 Streamliner - Two-Wheels, No Wings - Flyin' To A New Record
It is very legal and it is very AWESOME (especially if you get to drive the one with the Integra Type-R engine). You just have to drive it to understand (assuming you are able to drive a car for fun, many people do not).
