BMW has launched the ultimate fashion accessory, the SlideCarver, a three-wheel scooter that uses components from the 5 Series and can be folded and packed into a car boot.
BMW has launched the ultimate fashion accessory, the SlideCarver, a three-wheel scooter that uses components from the 5 Series and can be folded and packed into a car boot.
It is BMW’s first three-wheeler since the Isetta bubble car of the mid-50s. The SlideCarver scooter has a fibreglass-reinforced board and forged aluminium components, and a double-joint swinging support component borrowed form the E39 5 Series.
To improve the steering, the board of the SlideCarver pivots in the direction of the turn, helping the rider’s centre of balance.
Handlebar mounted brake levers are linked to a hydraulic twin-disc brake system on its rear wheels. The brake cables are located within the tube of the handlebars giving a more streamlined appearance and protection from weather and scuffing. The scooter has front-wheel suspension and tyre-wear indicators.
According to BMW, the SlideCarver offers “tight cornering, excellent handling and supreme stopping power”.
The scooter incorporates a patented one-handed folding mechanism, consisting of a folding joint at the base of a telescopic handle bar that connects to the board, allowing it to fold up and fit into the boot of a car. It costs the equivalent of about R6 000.
The SlideCarver is a step up from the longboard StreetCarver skating board, which has won numerous international design awards since 2000. The board operates like a surfboard or snowboard with the rider shifting body weight to steer.
It consists of a wooden core with fibreglass inserts. The low profile rollers are made of polyurethane. Four pendulum supports from the 5 Series running gear provide guiding and stabilising.
