One of the great things we get to do at Samson is to create the future, not only for the business, but we hope for the world around us. Since we have had a lot of interest in our ground-only vehicle, we thought it might be interesting to show you the direction we are heading with the design of this vehicle.
The purpose of the ground-only vehicle is to give a combination of performance and mileage that is unsurpassed in transportation vehicles today, or tomorrow, for that matter. Making transportation fun, exciting, and yet less expensive and less of an impact on the environment is a hallmark of Samson.
Starting with the suspension and drive train taken from the Switchblade, but shortening the wheelbase (we don’t need to store wings under this vehicle), we were able to come up with a configuration that allowed near perfect balancing of weight for the vehicle mission.
The engine is placed low, almost directly over the rear wheels. This keeps the center of gravity (cg) low and to the rear for better turning characteristics. The tires are shown white for clarity sake only. We are expecting fuel mileage on the order of 60 mpg while maintaining Porsche performance levels. For those who want a little extra, we may be able to introduce a high-performance version at the expense of some gas mileage and cargo space. Check out the Hartley V8 Hayabusa, for example: http://www.h1v8.com/page/page/1562068.htm
We didn’t have a ducted fan to worry about with this model, so the design allows more visibility out the rear through a glass hatch. There is significant room for cargo in the back, and perhaps jump seats for smaller people if regulations allow that in your area (we are still aiming for three-wheel motorcycle classification).Twin radiator inlets form cavities on each side of the vehicle, similar to the Switchblade, and exhaust out the rear panel through mesh screens beside the tail lights. Engine access will be between the two screens.
The images show work in progress, and if you have a comment or suggestion, please feel free to use the Contact Us / General Question form to communicate it. Please be aware that we cannot credit each individual suggestion, or may not be able to respond to each, but we do appreciate your thoughts and ideas as we go forward with the project, knowing that you are helping us give direction and features to the final vehicle. These must be given freely, without request or expectation of compensation, so please don’t send in anything that you feel a proprietary ownership of.
