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.