'Naro car' blends motorbike with motorcar

Posted : 26-09-2005

A new motorbike/car hybrid is currently being developed, which claims to be the future of British commuting.

The Naro car, which is being tested in south Wales, boasts combining the dynamics of a motorbike with the comfort of a car.

Resembling a small horse-drawn carriage, the one metre-wide four-wheel vehicle leans into corners and has many safety features normally found on a car.

Hugh Kemp, of the Naro Car Company, said production should begin by 2008 and predicts the company will produce around 1,500 vehicles a year, each selling at about £5,200.

"We are still in the research stage at the moment and will test the technology on a 'mule' vehicle later this year," said Mr Kemp.

"Our aim is to manufacture the commuter vehicle in Wales and license the platform for development as a single passenger taxi cab and a city delivery vehicle."

The company hopes to cash in on the UK 'sub' car sector, which Cardiff University predicts will grow to 20,000 vehicles by 2012.

However, previous attempts at cornering the 'commuter' market have failed to take off commercially, such as the ill-fated Sinclair C5 in the 1980s.

The C5 was launched in 1985 to massive media criticism as the Press hounded it as a "dangerous joke", and production ceased after just a few months when sales dropped and health and safety issues were highlighted.

However, the Naro Car Company maintains there is still a place for its two-seater motorcycle/car crossbreed in modern society.

"We are confident there will be a market demand for cars like Naro, particularly in our cities and the concept has been driven by the increasing problems of congestion, the scarcity of parking spaces and concerns about pollution levels," said Mr Kemp.

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