Trabant
nT
Presented
at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show the Trabant nT revives one of the most famous,
or infamous, automobile manufacturers of East Germany.
The
retro-themed styling of the Trabant nT was penned by Nils Poschwatta (the same
guy developed the new Scirocco's interior, the Golf W12 650 concept, the IROC
and the VW Eco Racer). The exterior design of the nT takes its inspiration from
the original Trabants.
Thankfully
however, aside from the styling the nT concept shares little in common with the
communist-designed original Trabant. This was a car which had all sorts of
hateful features like a 15 year waiting list(!), refueling cap under the hood,
smoky and underpowered two-stroke engine, poor safety standards, and unchanged
styling which lasted over 30 years.
The
Trabant nT concept is a fully electric vehicle which uses a 60 horsepower
electric motor for propulsion. Fed by a lithium-ion battery pack mounted
low-down in the center of the vehicle, the electric drivetrain allows for an 80
mph (130 km/h) top speed. Not a record breaker but as a daily commuter the
Trabant nT has space, interior versatility, and adequate pace to keep up with
traffic in the city. Maximum range for the Trabant nT after a full charge is
100 miles (160 km). The car can be fully recharged overnight using any standard
electricity outlet.
The
makers of the new Trabant nT concept are Herpa, a company more accustomed to
making vehicles a touch smaller than the nT - they make car, truck and airplane
miniatures usually.
After
the showing at Frankfurt, Herpa are evaluating feedback to see if a production
run is viable for the Trabant nT. If all goes well the car could be on the
streets by 2012.
