James Skudder, a fan of mini cars, decided to try to turn one of them into an adult vehicle for everyday travel. Oddly enough, he succeeded: a toy roadster without suspension and head restraints was allowed to drive on public roads in the UK.
How Did A Mini Car Become A Full-Fledged Roadster?
The RiiRoo Super Sport XL plastic electric car was upgraded by Skudder and it looks similar to the Porsche Boxter roadster. As for a children's car, it has a pretty good list of equipment. It includes pneumatic tires, head optics, brake and turn signals, opening doors, and even an audio system.
However, the model is completely devoid of suspension, which caused a lot of inconvenience for Car Throttle, who decided to test the little Porsche on city roads. In addition to the small dimensions of the model and tiny seats that barely reach the middle of the driver's back, a wide rear wing that interferes with maneuvering adds a lot of discomfort.
The RiiRoo Super Sport XL is originally equipped with a 12-volt motor producing 180 watts. Scudder replaced it with a more powerful 24-volt 650-watt brushless motor, with the help of which the car can accelerate to 35.4 kph. Besides it, an additional battery was added to the roadster, so the total range on a full charge was about 6.4 kilometers.
The video clearly shows that the car is equipped with full-fledged license plates, although the testers did not disclose the method of obtaining them. But they fully demonstrated how the pilot of such a roadster can, without leaving the wheel, enter supermarkets and travel through the shopping arcade.
How Did This Car Get Permission To Travel On Public Roads?
It is not known how a little car, without full-fledged seat belts, head restraints, and any protection from other cars, managed to get permission to drive on public roads. Probably, the roadster has passed the Basic Vehicle Approval, which allows tuning, left-hand drive, and other unusual vehicles to be produced on British roads without crash tests and other tests required for production vehicles.
In April, UK company Little Car unveiled the $8,250 Wild One Max kit. Using this kit, you can independently build an electric buggy, which is allowed to move on public roads.
Source: Car Throttle