Cyprus-Forum.com

[Mikros]

Hmmm....so does this mean that I can get a kit car and being able to register and insure it for full time use??? How did they calculate the price? By the CC of the engine or any other way? mmmmm Time for a good quality blast...
BTW, this is the one I want with the 3.0 V6 engine ... http://www.stratossupersite.com/hawkcars.htm

[Kikapu]

The kit car looks like fun, but I doubt you will come out of it alive, if you had a head on or you roll her down a hill. If I had this car, I'll keep it on the tracks, and off the roads, where a lot of loosers are driving. Just looking after your health.!!

[GG]

The kit car looks like fun, but I doubt you will come out of it alive, if you had a head on or you roll her down a hill. If I had this car, I'll keep it on the tracks, and off the roads, where a lot of loosers are driving. Just looking after your health.!!

No worse than a motorbike.!!!

[Kikapu]

The kit car looks like fun, but I doubt you will come out of it alive, if you had a head on or you roll her down a hill. If I had this car, I'll keep it on the tracks, and off the roads, where a lot of loosers are driving. Just looking after your health.!!

No worse than a motorbike.!!!

Not quite. With a motorcycle, you have a much better chance of avoiding a head on, by getting out of the way (if you have the power) much quicker. If you can't stay on the bike, then you and the bike slide away from each other, both you and the bike going the same direction. As long as you don't hit a solid object ( tree, wall, a car) while you're sliding, then you'll come out with few scrapes. Besides, bike riders are far more aware of their surroundings than a car driver will ever be, hence they are in better position to avoid head on.

[GG]

Your statement was about having a 'head on' or 'rolling down a hill'.
In a head on you are better off in a car of any sort rather than a bike. END OF!
As for rolling down a hill, well G.Mans car has a full racing harness and tall roll cage (see pics) so in theory the car is made for rolling down hills.
And as for avoiding a collision, the car is much better, there is no need to lean in, just steer and go. Its common sense.

[Kikapu]

Even with a head on, the rider will be thrown over the car in a forward direction, and may suffer broken bones at worst case, but the driver in the kit car will be crushed like an egg, since I doubt you have much "crash safety" built into such a light car. I did see the roll bars, I was again concerned with the structure of the car to withstand too much punishment in a roll down a hill.

I'm not against your car, just that, I would think twice taking it on the road. And for the amount of money you have spent on it, or would want to sell it for, I would rather get something that has better protection. I would not have a problem riding a motorcycle instead of driving in a light weight car.

[Mikros]

It seems guys that you have much wrong information in your hands... Kikapu.... it's not its weight that makes a car safer.... this is an opinion that was around in the 70s.... And the safest protection you can offer to a driver is a roll cage nothing else... ! Even today's cars are roll cages with the rest of the parts fixed or welded on this cage. During the unfortunate collision the roll cage will absorb the collision energy and spread it around this "cell", in this way protecting the driver... Take the Smart car... It weighs just a few kilos, but the way it absorbs the collision energy is phenomenal for such a small car. The secret is to distribute the collision energy to other places away fro them occupants, in this case to the other car.
What is important in this case is how well the owner of the car assembled all the different parts.. I doubt that the manufacturer did not provide the owner with not high quality materials, since it will be a lot more difficult for them to give excuses for deaths etc compared to a well known manufacturer.... (see Mercedes A-class roll-over test, Lexus, Ford US, and some others...)
Personally I would prefer an all-day car to be that caterham, compared to some of the other small cars...

[Kikapu]

It seems guys that you have much wrong information in your hands... Kikapu.... it's not its weight that makes a car safer.... this is an opinion that was around in the 70s.... And the safest protection you can offer to a driver is a roll cage nothing else... ! Even today's cars are roll cages with the rest of the parts fixed or welded on this cage. During the unfortunate collision the roll cage will absorb the collision energy and spread it around this "cell", in this way protecting the driver... Take the Smart car... It weighs just a few kilos, but the way it absorbs the collision energy is phenomenal for such a small car. The secret is to distribute the collision energy to other places away fro them occupants, in this case to the other car.
What is important in this case is how well the owner of the car assembled all the different parts.. I doubt that the manufacturer did not provide the owner with not high quality materials, since it will be a lot more difficult for them to give excuses for deaths etc compared to a well known manufacturer.... (see Mercedes A-class roll-over test, Lexus, Ford US, and some others...)
Personally I would prefer an all-day car to be that caterham, compared to some of the other small cars...

You make very valid points. Look at the Formula 1 cars. They fall apart upon a crash, but the driver walks away. I'm just not certain, if that much safety concerns go into "kit cars" to perform as safe as your average family car. Talk about the Smart cars, I see them all the time here in Switzerland at high speeds on the highways, and I do have concerns for the driver, since there is very little between the driver and the front bumper.

[Mikros]

Well Kikapou... this is called engineering.... Take Ayrton Senna's death... if he was driving a today's F1 car, he would never die.... About your uncertainty... its all about YOU as the driver to purchase a high quality kit car and assemble it using your best assembly skills... As for the Smart.... I had been afraid as soon as I saw that little crap car, but regarding safety it is a lot safer than many of the city cars available in the market... And the secret is that it distributes the collision energy to the other car... (Pure other car then.... ) My question in a forum was, what happens if two Smarts have a head on collision? Hmmmm

[Kikapu]

My question in a forum was, what happens if two Smarts have a head on collision? Hmmmm

I would say, you will end up with two Swiss dummies...