Brazilians? I was under the impression that this was intended for the Michigan market, as evidenced by the large ground clearance and wheel travel required for traveling on third-world roads.

Yes, but considering this is essentially supposed to perform like an automatic transmission, it fails. The point of a SMG in an "appliance" car like this is to shift transparently and seamlessly, which the Fortwo's gearbox fails to do.

One should not have to learn or adapt to the transmission for it to operate correctly.

Why can't the computer control engine speed between shifts to make them smoother (similar to lifting between shifts)? Why does one need to use the manual function (on an automanual gearbox - oh, the irony) for it to work the most efficiently and smoothly?

Not to mention lackluster mileage.

I'll take a nearly 20-year-old CR-X and get 40/47mpg (plus some fun) over a Fortwo.

I've seen the Electrovairs and the Electrovan at the GM Heritage Center... I wish GM would've invested in battery technology earlier. The argument is made that battery-powered vehicles have not been viable until recently due to cost issues, but it would've helped had GM increased research earlier.

For $21, one could buy an old boombox from a thrift store or garage sale and have most likely better-sounding and undeniable cooler speakers (albeit after a bit of work). Maybe it's just me, but I prefer that route.

The solution is the electric motor. Precise control of torque and instant regenerative braking allow the driver to respond to the traffic better.

The key is to remove the delay from the driver. The fault includes torque converter power delivery lag and hydraulic brakes.




"The key is to remove the delay from the driver."

The delay does not come from the powertrain -- I drive a 12 year old sedan and while its throttle response and brake pedal response could be better (it's no sports car), the biggest delay is my own. Human reaction time is far longer than the control delay in modern cars.

Also, I don't believe that faster responses would help -- reducing traffic jams requres smooth flow, not immediate and jerky motion. It's the go fast/slow down/go fast/slow down mentality that *creates* jams in the first place.

What interests me is the Performance Traction Management:
"When full throttle is applied upon exiting a corner, it automatically manages acceleration dynamics."

I've heard that this easily improves lap times for all but the best drivers... I'd love to see it in action.

So he calls the Prius "not a true hybrid," but badmouths the Volt? What is a true hybrid, to him?

I'll start paying attention to Musk when his company can start producing cars faster than I can build them in my garage, or when they have one under $40k.

@Ryan McGrory: It's a sim game. Don't hate just because you don't appreciate the need to brake before corners.

Looks like those are the Volt show vehicles -- just for looks. The actual, running vehicles (not to mention the current Cruze/Volt mules) will be built by GM.