Well Mr. Byrd, this link and article is for you!!!
Take a look at this site: www.valentintechnologies.com
It’s Mr. Byrd’s car!! Almost…

Now Mr. Byrd was a very smart guy, (If I remember right, he worked at Boeing for several years as an Engineer before passing on his knowledge to us dweebs) but he was also the down to earth type. Built his own butter bean shelling machine. But this was in 1985-87. So now, 20+ years later someone’s finally trying to get around to this idea? What’s so new? Why haven’t prototypes already been made? I see guys making cars in their garage all the time (go to H.A.M.B) or maybe put this drivetrain in the Avion (it’s ALSO a home-built.. hint hint..)?

Avion 100+ mpg home built

I say the time has come and past for this guys.. I don’t care if you get 5000 international patents, they don’t mean anything to me when I’m paying almost $3.00 a gallon, getting 21 mpg, and NO my T/A doesn’t do 0-60 in 5 seconds either.. theory and school time is over.. BUILD IT ALREADY!! If I was in your class I know I wouldn’t mind a few weekends welding and sanding. I’m sure that’d be more fun than learning.. Oh wait, maybe I WOULD learn something?

OK, OK.. I don’t have anything accomplished on my home built Indy Car either so I’ll cut you some slack, but only if you’ll give me 4 of the wheelmotors you’ve developed. I’m sure a turbo V6 or V-Twin could drive a hydraulic pump too. Oh, and maybe just a slice of the $240,000 you’ve got from my tax money might motivate me a little too.

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Click, click and I’m there.. This thing is a Kleenex box with golf cart wheels??
OK.. then I get to reading. I’m slowly recognizing a LOT of names.. Cadillac steering column, Momo steering wheel, Carrera shocks, Bert Transmission, Mazda Miata, Toyo Tires, Konig Wheels, Hawk break pads, Wilwood master cylinder, Vintage Air A/C, Sparco seats, and more.. you get the idea.. These are parts I’d like to have in MY car. All are top notch names.

Now, it’s not much to look at but geez.. after the entire read.. it’s a great engineering achievement none the less.

• 0-60 in 4 seconds!
• 1/4 mile at around 12 seconds and 120 MPH.
• Top speed around 135.
• Seats 2 with a few groceries.
• 40-60 mile range on lead acid (150 on Li-Ion), and pretty much charges anywhere.
• SCCA and NHRA roll cage.
• Rollover equivalent to Porsche 911 (National Safety 5 star)
• Carbon fiber body panels.

All this in a tiny 39″x8′-5″ package. Did I mention it’s tiny?? Found a pic with people so you get a good idea of it’s size.

Tango at a car show

OK.. so all this cool doesn’t come without cost. In this case it’s $121,000 US. That’s the basic ‘kit’ with the lead batteries. For another $25,ooo you can get the Li-Ion batteries. Takes about 8 hrs to assemble.

Now, would I buy one? Simple… No, I don’t have 121k! But if they were around 20k… probably. I commute 41 miles each day. Probably about the average?
Look at this for a shocker: Tango vs. Toyota Prius vs. Toyota  Corolla.
(100,000 miles including maintenance and gas at $2.50/gal)

Tango – $4,200
Prius – $6,947
Corolla – $8,718

This means you could pay back your Tango vs. Corolla in only about 27 years. Now you know why these new commuters aren’t that popular. But, you’d be using much less fuel (power plants do use fuel too you know), can smoke your neighbors car daily, and get a 10 year unlimited mileage warranty. Oh, and you pretty much can park anywhere you find a Honda Goldwing motorcycle parked. Oh, and if you really must get away.. there’s a tow behind generator! How’s that for cool! A few gallons along the way and you can travel the blue ridge like the rest of the leaf lookers.

I honestly must give these guys credit. It IS cool to me. Step down the performance a bit to increase range and then stamp them out like a Honda or GM product and I’d bet you could easily take over the foreign and domestic markets. Now with that said would I trade my T/A for it.. no. But for the daily grind it’d be a blast! Are you listening GM?? Make one of these for under 20k and I bet you’d sell them in Japan, Europe. and the US like hotcakes!

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