NARO Two Passenger Motorcycle-Sized Car

The name NARO is very appropriate for the fuel sipping, two passenger vehicle shown here. Just over three-and-a-quarter feet (one meter) wide, the vehicle positions driver and passenger in tandem inside a fully-enclosed body that’s just shy of 100 inches long and 67 inches tall. This gives the four-wheel, 660 pound car the footprint of a motorcycle...a real a benefit in traffic or when parking as well as in reducing aerodynamic drag.

One-third the weight of a typical European sedan with half the usual frontal area, it requires just 25 percent of the power of today's passenger cars. The NARO is powered by a 400 cc, single cylinder 4-valve engine that produces 20 horsepower. A continuously variable transmission is used. Top speed is 85 mph. This pint-size machine can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 12 seconds and get up to 100 miles to a gallon of gasoline. According to Wales-based Narrow Car Company, this approach makes a lot of sense since it’s easier to halve vehicle weight and size than double engine efficiency.

The unique active roll/steer system allows the NARO to lean like a motorbike to prevent tipping over when cornering. This gives a driver the visibility to see and plan ahead when moving through traffic. The "free leaning” concept was validated for low and high speed stability on a test mule vehicle in early 2006. The NARO incorporates a double wishbone front suspension and independent trailing link rear suspension. The bonded, extruded aluminum skeletal structure is covered with thermoplastic sandwich body panels and carbon composite molding. Safety features include airbags and ABS.

Prodrive, a motorsport and automotive firm, did the original concept research. Hugh Kemp, a former director at Prodrive, has licensed the design and established The Narrow Car Company to develop production versions. Executive commuter, one-passenger taxi, and city delivery van models have been designed.

Kemp was a former product director at Lotus Cars and responsible for the Elise sports car. Initial styling was done at the Coventry University School of Art and Design, while the commuter version was styled at the Swansea Institute School of Industrial Design. The company received Welsh government funding to demonstrate technical feasibility of the unique roll and steer control system.