Fuel Vapor Technologies Alé
Significant publicity was gained by the unique Ale, which pioneered the concept of ‘fuel vapour’ power, whereby the engine ran on vapours rather than liquid petrol. In practice this meant an air/fuel ratio of 20:1 rather than the normal 14.7:1. The reason was to boost overall range (the company behind it, Fuel Vapor Technologies, claimed over 900 miles (ca. 1,448 km), based on 92mpg).
A 180bhp Honda 1.5-litre turbo engine drove the front wheels, enabling 0-60mph (0-97 km/h) in 5.0 seconds. Fully adjustable suspension used a Honda CRX front end and a single rear swing arm, while the steering box came from a Porsche 911!
“We’re all car guys, and we don’t want to build a four-door, four-seat sedan, it’s just not very exciting” company VP Todd Pratt told. “We believe it would have more impact on the general public to have a [hybrid] car that outperforms a gas car.”
The aerodynamic glassfibre body seated two in tandem, but it was quite big at 4420 mm (174in) long and weighed 635 kg (1400lb). The car’s creator, George Parker, planned to put it into production in British Columbia, Canada, but investment had not been forthcoming as of the time of writing.
Specifications:
- Engine: Honda 1,5-litre turbo
- Engine power: 180bhp
- Top speed: 225 km/h
- 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h): 5,0 seconds
- Fuel consumption: 92mpg
- Length: 4420 mm (174in)
- Weight: 635 kg (1400lb)
