http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/ Engadget Comments for Spira foam car enters Automotive X Prize, our hearts http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 11:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/
Of all the tiny, fuel effecient cars that people have come up with, this one rates highest on my 'death trap-o-meter'. Let's be honest, a Smart Car would destroy that thing.]]>May 15th 2009 12:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 12:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/I predict this thing is in a ditch after the first crosswind.
]]>May 15th 2009 5:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 11:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 11:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/
http://static.bowenwang.com.cn/gif/harley-first.jpg
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]]>May 15th 2009 11:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 1:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/
What's the insulating R-factor of the foam?]]>May 15th 2009 11:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 11:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 11:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 11:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/
I don't like the shape though, it doesn't look very aerodynamic. With molded foam, they should be able to make a more streamlined shape just as easily. Here's a good example of a foam streamliner (though this one has a metal frame inside):

http://www.recumbents.com/MARS/pages/proj/tetz/VFS/projtetzVFS12finished.html]]>May 15th 2009 11:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 11:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 11:48AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 12:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/
Chris was referencing an animated sketch from Saturday Night Live.]]>May 15th 2009 2:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 12:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 12:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 12:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 12:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 12:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 1:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/
I'd like to see it race against a professional cyclist piloting a velomobile. Knowing that the velomobile has set speed records of 81 mph, I'd put my money on the human powered Velomobile over this little gas hog.]]>May 15th 2009 1:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/
There's no way any velomobile can hit 70mph on a flat road. A velomobile is a streamlined vehicle for practical street use. The 81mph record was achieved on a streamliner specially built for a record attempt; it couldn't even start or stop without help. ]]>May 15th 2009 4:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 1:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 2:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 3:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/
http://transformers.wikicomplete.info/g1:wheeljack]]>May 15th 2009 4:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 4:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 15th 2009 5:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/Lon Ballard - http://www.spira4u.com inventor]]>May 16th 2009 7:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/
I wonder how aerodynamic that thing is, looks decently so, but with such power/weight, air friction is what's going to kill it's top speed/fuel economy. I wonder if they painted it with some low friction paint (probably not since it would erode the foam ;) ;) )

Some people say a 100cc motorcycle could do better, perhaps 0-60, but motorcycles really aren't that aerodynamic if you look into it. ]]>May 16th 2009 2:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 16th 2009 5:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/spira-foam-car-enters-automotive-x-prize-our-hearts/May 16th 2009 10:03PM