Lotus Creates Special Ice Vehicle

No tyres, heading for South Pole

by Thami Masemola
August 18, 2008 6:00 PM
Filed Under: Concept Car, European, Lotus, Technology

James Bond’s Esprit could run both on and under water in The Spy Who Loved Me, if I recall correctly. Now a real bio-fuelled slider has been developed by Lotus engineers to cope with extremely cold temperatures, the kind found in places like the South Pole for instance. Coincidentally that is exactly where this Lotus is going on something called the Moon Regan Trans Antarctic Expedition. So experimental is this thing that two Ford E-Series vehicles will accompany it, just in case.

The creation is some 4500mm in length with a wingspan of same proportions and uses three skids. It has radar for crack detection and will carry the three-man crew of Andrew Regan, Andrew Moon and Jason de Carteret. These gents will be performing a series of experiments in Antarctica in order to exhibit how much of a vital role the vast ice-covered land plays in the sustainability of our planet.

Source: Lotus via Leblogauto

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Comments

Cool. But does it have any protection for the cockpit. Otherwise I imagine it might get a little chilly.

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by joelynn | August 18, 2008 6:11 PM

Guess narrow bridges defeats it...!

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by car_nut | August 18, 2008 8:07 PM

Three man crew huh? I've always liked Lotus' engineering, but if they manage to sit 3 people in the only bucket seat this thing has, I'll be more than impressed

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by loyo | August 18, 2008 9:51 PM

This is a versatile engineering exercise, given the number of people living in year-round snowed-in conditions. It is not just automotive-relevant, either, believing it is just a matter of time before police vehicles are outfitted with crack-detection radars. I predict the technology will be so effective drug lords will start lobbying congress to ban it.

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by Bremen_Koenigsegg | August 19, 2008 4:07 AM

@ loyo

1. these men are former 2 man luge competitors.

2. nights in antarctica are 6 months long.

3. antarctica is cold and lonely

4 i seem to recall reading a science blog that pointed out a high degree of homosexuality among the penguins.

5. Three men in one comfort shaped reclined seat. The only problem will be arguments about who's ontop and who's underneath.

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by droobear | August 19, 2008 5:08 AM

Serious critique of this machine

1. Before the quadrunners/atv ther was the 3 wheel atv. It ended up OUTLAWED because of all the rollovers.

2. That company in Quebec who fabricate the 3 wheeled motorbike (Raptor?) -- 2 wheels in front one wheel in back.

3. snowmobiles have 2 skis in front monotread in back

PERCHANCE A LOTUS ENGINEER READS THIS 2 skis upfront one in the back = more stability, =oversteer not rollover. (If you think oversteer for a snow/ice machine is bad than watch children on toboggans.

Remember the british team that set the land speed record? Broke the speed of sound!!!! they used 2 WHEELS UP FRONT/ 1 WHEEL STEERING IN BACK.

Nice idea but some serious safety issues, performance issues with this layout.

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by droobear | August 19, 2008 5:17 AM

it looks like you would get very cold driving it...

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by BabyMilo | August 19, 2008 9:17 AM