In Depth Look at the Loremo LS Concept
Unlike most economy cars, the Loremo has its engine mounted midship, driving the rear wheels. Performance enthusiasts should be happy to know that it has a perfect 50:50 weight distribution, so it should be relatively neutral in the bends. And although its custom made 105/70 R 14 tires would be more at home on a Penny Farthing, it has a unique active-camber suspension to improve road contact with what little width there is to the tread. Interestingly, the suspension also adjusts its camber depending on the load and weight of the car. In town, the LS should be a breeze to drive, thanks to its short wheelbase and light curb weight.
To help achieve maximum fuel consumption, the LS is powered by a tiny two-cylinder light pressure turbo diesel engine of undisclosed size, which makes 20-horsepower. For the record, that’s about twice the output as the engine in Honda’s most powerful non-commercial snow blower. Nevertheless, mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, the diesel powerplant is more than enough to propel the LS to city and highway speeds, as the whole car weighs just 450 kg (992 lbs). It accelerates to 100 km/h from standstill in a leisurely 20 seconds (about the same as a smart fortwo cdi), but has a top speed of 160 km/h (100 mph) which is more than fast enough for everyday use. After all, it’s worth remembering that at the end of the day, Loremo’s claim to fame is that the car is capable of a penny-pinching 1.5 L/100 km (157 mpg).
For those who are in a bit more of a hurry to get where they’re going, Loremo intends to introduce a more powerful version of the car called the GT. It will feature a 50-horsepower three-cylinder turbodiesel that will be able to halve the 0 to 100 km/h acceleration time of the LS, and boost top speed to 220 km/h (137 mph). The GT consumes twice as much fuel, but relatively speaking, that’s still a miniscule amount at just 2.7 L/100 km (88 mpg).
In many ways, the Loremo is more than a concept; it’s a fully operational prototype that’s headed to production. Loremo expects the car to be on the streets of Europe by 2009, with prices starting from under E11,000 ($15,290 CAD; $13,250 USD) for the LS, and under E15,000 ($20,850 CAD; $18,000 USD) for the GT, giving hybrids and conventional economy cars a good run for their money. To find out if Loremo has plans to sell its LS in your area, check out www.loremo.com.
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