More than two and a half centuries ago, Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot created the first motorized chariot in history. It was not gasoline-powered, that would come from the hand of Ettiene Lenoir in 1860, and it was in 1886 when Karl Benz patented his famous tricycle before four-wheeled tricycles, created by Gottlieb Daimler, became popular.
The way in which cars with motors instead of animal traction changed the world, and also in a short period of time, is evident. Little by little, those cars with motors evolved into the most sophisticated, comfortable and elegant cars that we all know.
But those first cars with an engine had practically no power: 0.75 HP for a 954 cubic centimeter single-cylinder engine that could rotate at 400 revolutions per minute, and achieve the overwhelming power of 16 kilometers per hour. The truth is that taking into account what those cars were like, the figures are reasonable.
The car that Karl Benz would have dreamed of
What is not reasonable, no matter how you look at it, is the preparation that good old Matt Spears, whom we have seen on other occasions with his craziness, has made of an Amish car. The American has decided that it was a good idea to mount a single-cylinder engine again, but this time coming from a KTM 450 SX with its more than 60 HP.
Logically, the preparation had to be thorough, since putting an engine in a car in any way can end very badly. So the axle couldn’t be made of wood, it had to be made of steel, as well as the connectors and the chassis itself.
Then it was time to start it and verify what I already knew, that a car needs to be able to turn according to the need of the moment and, of course, be able to brake. So, resorting to dismantling a kart, he equipped it with a brake on the rear axle, pedals to accelerate and brake, and better ropes to be able to direct it.
The issue of the ropes to control it seems quite rudimentary, but also effective at low speed and if you get the hang of it, (pun intended) because all you have to do is see what happens when you leave it with a friend.
Now all that remains is to be able to change gears and have the clutch in a more comfortable position, the issue of the steering wheel and look for some security because, of course, a car with an engine this powerful is truly crazy.
