The Venturi Eclectic on the streets of Los Angeles
It's being reported that Monaco-based car maker, Venturi, is to commence production and sale of its two electric vehicles in the spring of next year. The Tesla roadster-rivaling Fetish has apparently garnered six firm orders so far and is likely to cost a Ferrari-rivaling figure when it officially goes on sale in April 2008. This car has been a long time in gestation, having first appeared a couple of years ago at the Paris motorshow.
Like the Tesla Roadster, Venturi's Fetish hails a new dawn in battery-powered car performance. It'll nip to 60mph in around 4 seconds.
Even more interesting however is the Eclectic, said to be going on sale with a price tag of less than 30,000 euros. The Eclectic is a quadricycles - a small sub-car vehicle, which seats three people and has a maximum speed of around 50km/h. It is in part powered by an array of solar cells mounted on the roof, and - somewhat comically - an optional wind turbine. Doubtless the autonomous ability that these feature lend the vehicle will appeal to the environmentally-conscious campuses and hotel resorts that the vehicle is aimed at. But the real treat will come for the passengers and dignitaries who get to ride shot-gun in the vehicle and experience this car's real joie-de-vivre, or 'dolce-vita' feeling that designer Sacha Lakic has so successfully invoked in this car.
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Images: Venturi
Posted by Joseph Simpson on 19th November 2007
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