Thursday 17th September 2009

Trabant Returns To Germany

Forget smoky two strokes - this one's electric

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The idea of a new Trabant may not strike those who remember the original car as a particularly inspired idea.

But while the tiny, smoky old plastic Trabant was the poster child of communist East Germany – the GDR churned out three million of them between 1957 and 1991 – the new Trabant nT reflects a rather different world.

Instead of the wheezing old two-stroke engine, there’s a 45 kilowatt electric motor powered by lithium-ion batteries that carries the Trabant nT to a claimed top speed of just over 80mph.

The Trabant nT has a pretty limited range, though. It’ll only do around 100 miles before needing more juice, although its makers argue that since the majority of daily car journeys in Germany are only around 30 miles long this won’t be a problem for the new Trabi. Hmm.

The technology under the skin might be new, but the looks of the Trabant nT remain true to its heritage, with a trapezoidal grille, wide-eyed headlights and vertical (and very 1950s-style) rear lights.

The task of the car’s creator (scale model maker Herpa) is now to turn the Trabant nT into a production vehicle by 2012, a project being undertaken with the help of small-car coachbuilder IndiKar.

Bizarre fact of the day? There are still 52,000 original Trabis on German roads.

 

[TheDetailDoctor]

That's actually quite funky

[Mr Gear]

Also: http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[ian_c_uk]

Quite like it, could easily be the next mini/500 etc.

[crofty1984]

In the first pic, before scrolling down to see that the grill is actually vertical, it reminded me of the front view of a Triumph Spitfire/midget.

[Mr Gear]

ian_c_uk said:

Quite like it, could easily be the next mini/500 etc.

Looks like a cross between a new Mini and an old VW Type 3 to me. The end result is quite pleasing to look at. They should add a range extender generator to it, and then they'd have a car they could sell.

[Groober]

Compared to all the other manufactures vile looking electric car concepts this on is good looking mainly because it looks like a normal car.

[Snoggledog]

Saw a cough lightly modified trabbie estate in Budapest last year. The 2 litre Honda Vtec engine made for quite a potent little machine.

[PascalBuyens]

"There are still 52,000 original Trabis on German roads."

And I was quite surprised to see a convertible one on the Belgian roads last weekend.

[Belfast Boy]

I actually quite like this, I've always been a fan of Eastern block tat.
With a 1.4TSI VW engine and RWD it would be a laugh.

[Nostrils]

I want one. When I worked in Germany a few years back, I saw many of the old smokers all having been to the local Halfords.

[UncappedTag]

Looks like a restyled Mini Clubman.

[kevin ritson]

Love it! What a great idea, hope it works

[odyssey2200]

Shame its electric!

[Harry Flashman]

I like that - great looking thing!

If it were hybrid, they'd sell plenty.

[959er]

Give it a boot ... RILEY ELF! - its pretty cool actually, I'll have one with a Fireblade motor, sequential 'box ... wake up! wake up!, you're dreaming again!!!

[Dr G]

Mr Gear said:

ian_c_uk said:

Quite like it, could easily be the next mini/500 etc.

Looks like a cross between a new Mini and an old VW Type 3 to me...

...but designed by a Chinese company only employing blind people!

[Gold]

Looks better than a MINI imho.

[TheDetailDoctor]

ian_c_uk said:

Quite like it, could easily be the next mini/500 etc.

It's already MIni from the waistline ipwards if you look at the front 3/4 view.

[GranTurismoMan]

Thats actually a bit smart! I agree, stick a normal or hybrid engine in it and you'd be beating ppl off with a sh*tty stick! They should do a base model that comes with flaking 12inch steel wheels and crossply tyres and a pea shooter exhaust pipe that emits more smoke than a WW2 warship for authenticity though.

[odyssey2200]

Looks a bit like an Austin A40 from the back

Austin A40


New Trabby

Edited by odyssey2200 on Thursday 17th September 14:29