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A sleek and speedy debut , T$ h4 s. R, A
It's made of carbon fibre, powered by a 700bhp turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa engine and an electric motor and its makers claim it will eventually be capable of 0-258mph acceleration in 19 seconds and a maximum of 450mph, at which speed it will deliver 17.6mpg. "It is a perfect engine, I love it," says Acabion's chief research officer, Peter Maskus. 3 F* Y+ W/ ~* p$ |! u
When it goes on sale in 2009, the Acabion GTBO 70 will only be capable of 150mph, but its maker claims the 300kg vehicle is the world's most exclusive; production from 2007 to 2011 is limited to 26 examples. . X9 W) N! Q" E! s! K& Q8 D! E4 g"As an engineer I worked for Porsche, Mercedes and BMW," says Maskus. "All those cars are inefficient; they originate from the horse-drawn carriage with their four big wheels and rectangular shape. The Acabion is the new ideal of sporting and responsible mobility." The Acabion resembles another enclosed, tandem seating, feet-forward motorcycle, the Ecomobile, although that was bulkier and powered by a BMW motorcycle engine, with a top speed of 161mph, 0-62mph in 5.7sec and a steady 56mph fuel consumption of 68mpg. 5 c/ P1 p7 d& W" O6 G D; R/ O. v