Corbin Raven 3-wheeler prototype hits the road
There is currently a growing list of three-wheeled vehicles set to be sold in America. One reason for this trend is that by losing out on the fourth wheel, the vehicle is officially classified as a motorcycle and is therefore exempt from much of the safety testing that is required for automobiles. Some three-wheelers are more like cars than others, and the Corbin Raven qualifies as rather car-like in its execution. Consider the windshield, which offers some relief from wind and weather. Note the steering wheel replacing the handlebars, and foot pedals as opposed to hand controls. The vehicle appears to be front-wheel drive as well, and offers three-wheel steering. Also of note are what appear to be hydraulic tubes connected to the rear hub, which would explain how the rear-wheel steering operates.
There are many questions that hopefully will be answered soon, such as if heating and air conditioning are to be offered. We don't see a windshield wiper on the concept, either. One wonders what the frontal body work might look like, as well. It should also be noted that this is not Mike Corbin's first three-wheeled vehicle, the first one being the electric Corbin Sparrow. The Sparrow is now sold as the NmG, which stands for "No more Gas". Corbin is known for its motorcycle accessories, specifically seats, luggage and windshields. With gas prices on the rise, would any of you be interested in a vehicle such as the Raven, if it indeed is able to reach 100 miles per gallon and sell for less than $12,000?
[Source: Straightline]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
atu 5:24PM (6/02/2007)
just a word of warning, there were a lot of unhappy campers when it came to the original sparrow. from suppliers to customers, it seemed as if corbin could find few friends. a friend bough a sparrow, and w/ all the parts that had to be replaced and the wait for them to arrive, he was pretty upset. i think meyers motors has worked hard to flush out a lot of the bugs on the nmg.
so...before you plunk down any cash, you might want to take a look at this guy's history, it ain't good.
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Steven Johnson 2:35PM (6/03/2007)
Yeah, I'd be very wary of this. I owned a Sparrow and also invested in Corbin Motors, but the (mis)management was scary... they were big on ideas but incompetent on execution.
The Sparrows were horrifically unreliable (later, it turns out they didn't bother adding any electrical engineers to their staff, or doing much real-world testing, resulting in vehicles that would overheat and stall going up modest inclines)... basically, it seems that a few motorcycle guys decided they could build an electric vehicle by throwing together various existing parts.
Maybe the gas-powered nature of the Raven will make it more doable, but unless they have someone other than Mike Corbin running it I'd stay waaaaay the hell away from this.
Tarakonaz 6:15PM (6/02/2007)
Not very nice...
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Max 7:33PM (6/02/2007)
$12k puts this into Smart car territory. Why on Earth would I buy this when I can get a Smart car that can nearly match its fuel economy, provide superior safety and comfort and haul another passenger in the process.
This is too little, too late. People who want a kit car will build it themselves.
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F451 7:14PM (6/02/2007)
Turn the seat around, and cut a windshield out in the proper place, and then you might have something. As mentioned by atu, Corbin royally scalded owners of the Sparrow.
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ruggels 8:21PM (6/02/2007)
Max, which model of smart... well... actually they are only building the fourtwo so that moots that line of questioning... which SMART fourtwo gets mear 100mpg? I wasn't aware of anything in production or development by SMART with that kind of fuel economy. Kindly elaborate for our benefit.
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RWD fan 9:56PM (6/02/2007)
Between the Sparrow, which was plagued by charging and speed controller problems, and the Merlin which was v-twin powered by an Aussie derived OHC powerplant, Mike Corbin had some great ideas that nevered really panned out. He spun off the vehicle division and went semi-public with it, but ultimately filed bankruptcy and I am surprised he's able to get back into this line of development again so soon.
To his credit, he was very instrumental in getting legislation through in California to get certain 3-wheelers registered as motorcycles to allow use in diamond lanes, and yet they were also allowed to be driven sans-helmet because of seatbelts and driver's compartment protection.
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Jon 9:19PM (6/02/2007)
That is the ugliest thing I have ever seen...
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Jon 9:20PM (6/02/2007)
And doesn't anyone remember the days when the cars everyone wanted were Mustangs, GTOs, and Chargers? Ahh...
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Brent 10:47PM (6/02/2007)
That thing makes a Smart fortwo look like a bank vault.
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Jaymez 12:55AM (6/03/2007)
I'd have to drive one to be sure. Looks better than a Smart, for sure.
Personally, I don't give a rats ass about safety. I'm not interested in living forever, anyway. If it's a fun ride, and American made, I'd consider it.
If I were to get a trike, I'd rather have something more motorcycle like, and have as much open air-ness as possible. The roof would only be used on those days when I might get stuck in a rain storm.
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robz4 2:16AM (6/03/2007)
My eyes !!! Burn this Hell's creation...burn it !!
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Diesel 9:50AM (6/03/2007)
Before you all trash Mike Corbin, Nobody mentioned the fact that, his first go around at 3 wheelers was ended when his major investor bailed out, then sold off the company out from underneath Corbin. He said he would try it again when he could afford to, I dont know if that means no investors or just making sure he doesn't give up control this time.
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Brian 12:55PM (7/09/2007)
Just to be clear. Mike Corbin's Sparrow effort failed not only because of poor management but b/c of outright corruption. He should have spent time on jail. His wife, for exmaple, used the corporate credit card to purchase private belongings while investors and early buyers were left waiting. This guy is a total crook! be very careful before putting any money in front of Mike Corbin.
Spule 4 8:51AM (6/03/2007)
Growing list of three wheel cars coming to the US?
There was an interest in these in the 1940s and 1950s UK after the war due to slow postwar economy and fuel costs as they were cheaper than cars to run. Why would there be an interest in these in the US now....oh, wait......
nevermind.
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Snix 4:11PM (6/04/2007)
100 MPG? Regardless of who builds it, this is a concept that needs to explored by the car companies. And yes, you could make it safe to drive and take a crash.
Perhaps those 3 wheeled vehicles with a tricycle style layout sold in India could be a good starting point? They even have cargo versions. Think of the fuel savings for a UPS or FedEx outfit for urban small package delivery, not to mention the manuverability and parking ease.
Something's gotta give. We need more 40-50 MPG cars in this country. Hopefully, demand will drive the market. People wont want these things until gas is 5 bucks a gallon, I guess.
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a2jack 10:28AM (6/03/2007)
Imagine getting hit on the freeway by a big machine...like a Smart 4 two.
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Warren 4:23PM (6/03/2007)
One word... UGLY!
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adin 6:14AM (6/04/2007)
I'm much more interested in the Piaggio MP3 for half the cost or the Smart Fourtwo for the same cost.
But it sounds like the "alternative" transportation industry is finally getting some more well-deserved attention.
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Fabulo 3:33PM (6/04/2007)
Pretty amazing that by making your contraption less safe you can skip a lot of safety requirement. Good move! I'm in for two!
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