Okay seriously, WHY did they stop making Metro's?

[tmaxmetro]

...

[tmaxmetro]

Approx. 57mpg U.S. (if my conversion is correct). See more info. at www.thesmart.ca

Very neat car - rear engine, two seater, about 1600 lbs, 3-cylinder 799cc inline cdi turbo diesel.

Now that would be a neat engine to drop into a Metro!

cheers,

Originally Posted by andrgo

Yeah, I was reading up on them. It said they're prevented from entering the US because of diesel emissions, of course. How many MPG do you guys get with those things? It said we might have one here in 2008, I hope we do, I'd buy one if I end up not getting a Metro (it's hard finding a decent one around here too.)

[DOCTORBILL]

My father once had a French copy of the BMW Motorcycle called the "Rattier" used
by all the French Police. I cannot find any reference to it on the web - was in the '60's.

Which brings to mind that horizontally opposed, two cylinger engine.

Don't some airplanes have that horizontal opposed cylinders type engines?

Why haven't they appeared in automobiles? Too hard to cool?

Too odd shaped to place in a motor car?

I'd think they would have less vibration and be a good design - engineering wise.

DoctorBill

[BLU CIVIC]

took a Smart for a test drive this summer and it turned out to be a real peppy car...not officially for sale in the states yet, but some dealerships are bringing them over and converting them to US spec.

they could have kept the metro, redesigned it and wold have and an advantage when this new small car market came into play...but they didn't and IMO, lost out on a very big market

[tmaxmetro]

The original rear-engine VW bug had a horizontally opposed 4-cyl air cooled engine - very neat. The cylinders bolted to the block and could be replaced, two heads, single carb, etc.

Its been lots of years since I've owned a Bug - but I don't remember even the 1600cc being all that peppy (in stock form) - and the vehicle handled poorly on anything but dry pavement. I had 1200cc Bugs as well... and they were almost un-driveable in hilly areas.

cheers,

Originally Posted by DOCTORBILL

My father once had a French copy of the BMW Motorcycle called the "Rattier" used
by all the French Police.

Which brings to mind that horizontally opposed, two cylinger engine.

Don't some airplanes have that horizontal opposed cylinders type engines?

Why haven't they appeared in automobiles? Too hard to cool?

Too odd shaped to place in a motor car?

I'd think they would have less vibration and be a good design - engineering wise.

DoctorBill

[Mike_Van]

Originally Posted by DOCTORBILL

My father once had a French copy of the BMW Motorcycle called the "Rattier" used
by all the French Police. I cannot find any reference to it on the web - was in the '60's.

Which brings to mind that horizontally opposed, two cylinger engine.

Don't some airplanes have that horizontal opposed cylinders type engines?

Why haven't they appeared in automobiles? Too hard to cool?

Too odd shaped to place in a motor car?

I'd think they would have less vibration and be a good design - engineering wise.

DoctorBill

There are quite a few horiz. opposed (boxer) engine designs out on our roads, though none of them are small enough to be very efficient (e.g. Subaru, Porsche, air-cooled VW Beetles and air & water-cooled T3's).

And yes, these engine designs are very good at balancing/canceling out their own vibrations. These engines, due to their orientation and mounting possibilities, can allow a vehicle to have a lower center of gravity.

Mike

[hot_sd]

Originally Posted by DOCTORBILL

.

Don't some airplanes have that horizontal opposed cylinders type engines?


DoctorBill

That's correct - the engines you find it light GA aircraft like the Cessna 172s made by Lycoming or Continental are horizontally opposed. Also they are air-cooled although I'm not sure that's a factor.

[DOCTORBILL]

Wasn't the Corvair a 4 cyl horizontally opposed air cooled engine?

It was in the rear of the vehicle.

I drove one when I was much, much younger and it seemed quite a nice car!

I didn't pay any attention to the mechanics of it - I was too busy being
interested in girls.....and how they fit into the car....

Put gas in it and drive the hell out of it....the car, not the girls!

Ah, the "good old days..." - my youth. What a waste!

But I had fun!

DoctorBill

[JustSayGo]

Corvairs are six cylinder horizontally opposed, with a long V-belt to drive the cooling fan and generator. They leak a lot of oil, the belt breaks or flys off, engine overheats and catches fire. Some were turbocharged 180+ HP. Ralph Nader said they were a death trap. Aerodynamics caused the front end to be so light at 90 MPH that steering control could be lost because the tires barely touch the ground. Those were the days!

[DOCTORBILL]

Yah, "Ralph Nader said they were a death trap."

Ralph Nader can go .......

I loved every minute of driving that car - drove the crap out of it!

Yes, the Fan Belt would break at the damnedest times (middle of LA Freeway),
but it never gave me any trouble otherwise!

Was nice for driving sweet young things around Garden Grove and San Diego....
to Laguna Beach at night for Camp fires with buttered Lobster...ummmm.
Memories.

And I used to do 85 mph on the San Diego Freeway!

Just put some weight up front!

Ralph Nader got a hair up his bumpkiss over many things....What a putz!

There are always "Buzzkills" lurking in the wings for every damned thing!

DoctorBill

[GM Line Rat]

Well, Here's my .02 on the subject: GM has been making small cars such as the Geo Metro for years and selling them at little profit, or at times at a loss ($$$....Tax Rightoff). GM is in a restructuring turnaround now and needs to make $$$ fast! I've seen the same senario played out several times at GM in the 28 Years I've worked for them (Chevy Chevette is one that comes to mind). GM will still produce small fuel efficent cars for sale in the USA, But they wont be built in North America!.....Prime example is the new Chevy Aveo. When GM Discontinued their joint venture with Suzuki in Canada on the Metro line (Pre-Gas prices skyrocketing era), Then parted ways with the Suzuki joint venture all together recently......I doubt seriously you'll ever see another new Metro line to be Re-Introduced, At least not in it's present form.... ......Enjoy them while you have them Boys!

[DOCTORBILL]

Well, then....there is your problem - no?!

Why does GM or Ford or Chyrsler or any big corporation have to be our saviour?

Is this what is wrong with America? If a big corporation won't make something
we need, it won't get made? Is that how it is?

Some small Company, run by a normal, simple minded entrepreneur should start
making some small Geo Metro type of automobile that gets 60 mpg and looks
"cool" enough for the American "mind" - for around $8,000.

Once it is selling like hotcakes, we can let all those "elete', super smart, smarmy
Marketing Executives wring their hands and whine that 'someone' should have
thought of this idea!

Then they can all sit around the big Teak Conference Tables drinking wine and
planning how they can undercut the 'new guy' and buy his enterprise out for
5 billion and turn the new car into an SUV with a V-8 engine and maybe
make it 4 wheel drive....

Where are the normal American entrepreneurs who usually get the job done
that Big Corporations F**k up every day?

You know, doing something that cannot be done!

And quickly and under budget...for a profit.

How about some of us get together and do it...?

My only problem is that I am a business doofus and haven't got enough money to pay
my bills with! And with my personality, I'd piss off everyone I work with.

Other than that....let's do it!

DoctorBill

[tmaxmetro]

Chrysler is rumoured to be making deals with Chery Automobile of China to produce a new "tiny car" for North America. These tiny cars are known as "B-Cars".

The Chery QQ is an 800cc 3 cylinder 4-door which looks somewhat like a small VW Golf... so although the Metro is not yet coming back, it does appear that the automakers are indeed paying attention to those looking for super-econo cars.

cheers,

[floridabuckeye]

I didn't make it through everything yet so my appologies if it has been said already. I lived in Italy for 4 years and became very familiar with Smart Cars. They are made by Mercedes. They are much to small for the average American to do the things we do with our cars on a daily basis. No trunk space means no room for Groceries, shopping, and general things such as tools that most of us carry with us all the time. They are fun little cars to drive though. In Europe there is a much cooler Smart car roadster and a four door smart available... the UK site

If I had my choice of small cars presently made, oddly I would pick a Fiat Punto 1.1 (or even the 1.2) It is about the same size as a Metro hatchback and gets amazing gas mileage along with being incredibly durable and very good crash test ratings... for about 8 to 10 grand you can get one brand new that will get around 45mpg... I drove one for all 4 years and only 3 very minor problems... I would love to see GM rebadge that...

This is very similar to what mind looked like... I changed a few details though (used a body kit from the 1.8 sport version a front lip wheels etc....)

[99Metro]

I think they stopped making Metros because demand is for high horsepower/high performance vehicles. People want to do 0-60 in 5 seconds - they want performance and the "fun" factor. In general, people are doing better financially, so they sacrifice fuel economy for horsepower. If you look at the new cars these days, you will be hard pressed to find one with less than 100 hp. I also think that the auto makers believe the gas price situation is temporary and that it isn't worth going to smaller vehicles for now. People are still buying the big ones - and that is where the money is at. It is all about the money...