Auto World News

The Corbin Raven, a three-wheeled vehicle now undergoing prototype testing, is slated to go on sale in late 2008 priced under $12,000. The manufacturer calls it "a commodity the American public doesn't yet know it wants."

The Raven has a 0.8-liter gasoline engine — three cylinders, naturally — and makes 45-50 horsepower. The maker says the three-wheeled vehicle weighs 1,100 pounds and is expected to have a 65-mpg fuel economy average and a top speed of 50 mph. It also has three-wheel steering, and perhaps best of all for city dwellers, takes up only one-fourth of a traditional parking spot.

That's nothing compared with Corbin's future plans, which envisage a next-generation Raven that gets 100 mpg.

Corbin is a maker of motorcycle accessories and a previous lightweight three-wheeled vehicle called the Sparrow. The Raven will be on hand at the Alternative Vehicle Regatta in Washington, New Hampshire, June 17 and 18 as part of Alternative Energy Days.

For more information, visit the Corbin Web site.

Ярлыки: auto news, prototype