It may only have the 0,8-litre engine and transmission of the Smart under the skin, but the German-built, bubble-shaped Jetcar offers a clue to what most future “city cars” could look like.
It may only have the 0,8-litre engine and transmission of the Smart under the skin, but the German-built, bubble-shaped Jetcar offers a clue to what most future “city cars” could look like.
This could be the modern answer to bubble cars like the Isetta and Trojan of the ‘Sixties. The innovative, economical city car will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month.
Conceived by brothers Christian Wenger-Rosenau and Michael Wenger in Brandenburg, Germany, the Jetcar was developed over a four-year period, and its first production model will go on sale in Germany next year.
Despite its name, the Jetcar is not jet propelled – and its not particularly quick either. Instead, it has a 799 cm3 diesel engine and can potentially deliver fuel consumption well below 2,8 litres per 100 km. This engine is sourced from Smart and is mated with the little car’s six-speed semi-auto transmission.
Constructed around a light steel frame with an epoxy resin body, the Jetcar weighs just 620kg, and its body has been designed for maximum aerodynamic performance. To make it more streamlined, the two occupants sit one behind the other, rather than two abreast.
The vehicle is 4,03m long, 1,49m wide and 1,35m tall, which means that it is not overly tiny and vulnerable. Just 100 examples will be made, however, and is unlikely to be cheap, as each car will be handbuilt.
There will be two versions: a 45 kW Jetcar Sport I and the Jetcar Sport II, with 60 kW on tap.
