Road & Track Livestreams A Test Drive Of The P5. And The Fender Falls Off... :(

[acamara]

The fender is a simple fix, don't sweat it. The brake and gas being far apart is on the other hand. I have small feet .

I also have small feet... size 9.

I too like to heel pivot brake pedal to gas pedal.

Wonder how wide the pedals on the test drive vehicle were. Wonder if it could be as simple as adding wider pads to the pedals to reduce the distance between the Brake and Gas pads.

 

[floydv]

Ok, everyone start practicing the reasons why it happened:
1) It's a Prototype
2) Whoever put it on hadn't done it after they were doing some earlier tests
3) Terrorist took the bolts out to hide something and ran out of time
4) The test driver hit something before they started filming
5) Gremlins
6) It's a feature and we were testing it
7)

<I ran out of excuses>

Whatever falls off in Manhattan, stays in Manhattan

 

[ThreeWheelBurnin]

Whatever falls off in Manhattan, stays in Manhattan

Elio doesn't have good luck with Manhattan test drives, do they? Didn't they lose a muffler on the P4 and now they lost a fender with the P5? I hope they get it all refined. Cool video!

 

[Elio Amazed]

Great news for those who favor the retro fenders!

 

[NSTG8R]

My favorite quote of the article:

"Anyway, I think it looks way more badass with open wheels."

 

[KenK]

Pros:
They are driving around in the P5 with the Elio engine!
Clearly notes that this is a prototype several times
Lots of attention from pedestrians
Driver makes many favorable comments
Camera man says rear seat is ok

Cons:
Fender fell off
Elgin dash! (non-functional even)
No windows
Buzzy motor noise
clunky shifter

The con's will be addressed before production. I think overall its still positive press. They are lucky the fender didn't pop off on the test track while they were at speed.

 

[booboo]

Road & Track got a chance to test drive the P5. So they livestreamed it on Facebook

Until the left fender fell off...

Well crap...

http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/videos/a30189/elio-test-drive/

"This afternoon, Elio Motors was kind enough to bring a prototype of its three-wheeled car to Road & Track's New York City office for a test drive. It went great—right up until the left front fender fell off in the middle of Manhattan traffic."

Jalopnik article:

http://jalopnik.com/body-part-falls-of-elio-3-wheeler-during-live-test-driv-1784533335

Thank You for the link R.C.
In a Proto5 for 1st time drive. Shake, rattle rattle, what's that noise ? I guess all Proto5's shake and rattle when they roll in NYC, no worries, move along.

 

[Marching Chief]

I thought both videos plus the "quick fender release" ad were hilarious! I almost cried. Having said that, I can't wait to eventually own one.

 

[BearLakeSteve]

Since I've never actually been inside an Elio or even seen one in person, I liked seeing the video. It raises a few questions, however.
First, the driver said he needed a little engine rev and clutch slip to get the car going in first gear. I wonder if this will be the same for the final production car. I have burned out a clutch in a little Subaru GL and a Geo Metro, because I liked to accelerate faster than those cars wanted to. Now I have aged a couple decades since then and no longer feel the need for speed like I used to, but I don't relish driving a car that needs that kind of clutch finesse to get going. If that is the case I will probably pay extra for the automatic transmission.
Second, "the gas and brake pedal seem far apart." Doesn't seem like a huge deal to me but I wonder if anyone else notice this who has actually sat in the drivers seat? I hope the Elio engineers take notice ergonomics is kind of important in a car these days.
Third, I can imagine the fenders coming off or loose in even a minor collision. (Someone cut a corner too sharp in a parking lot the other day and clipped the fender on my Dodge Journey.) If the shape of the fender makes it want to roll under the wheel and harm steering -- this seems very unsafe and a serious engineering issue. Might be motivation enough to bring back the retro fenders.
Finally, I noticed the cameraman in back was only wearing a lap belt. Will the production model have a shoulder restrain in back? I hope so - worth the extra cost to me.

I did not realize the P5 was so unfinished. I might get to see it in Colorado Springs next week - can't wait, but I really can't wait to see one that is completely finished e.g., with windows that roll up. Better yet, I can't wait to see production #19186.

 

[DAVID BROWER]

I was concerned that the ride seemed very rough until I noticed that the camera seemed to jerk
around even when the Elio was stopped.

IMAGE STABILIZATION WOULD HAVE MADE A HUGE IMPROVEMENT IN THE VIDEO .
I FOR ONE ENJOYED THE CHANCE TO RIDE ALONG DESPITE THE SHAKING .

IT IS INTERESTING HOW HE WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE DRIVING POSITION
AT THE BEGINNING AND HOW QUICKLY BECAME ACCLIMATED TO IT WITHIN MINUTES .
HE WAS GETTING INTO IT AND ENJOYING THE DRIVE BY THE TIME THE FENDER CAME OFF .