Small car marketing is a tricky niche, because you want to include everyone, not just your early 20 something loft dweller who’s single speed bicycle with gold accents fits in the hatch and happens just to park in front of the same American Apparel everyday.

1. Kia Soul – Hamster dance with Goldfish by Fort Knox

Heart heart heart it. Its not smug, its just creative. We’ve all been there, waiting in traffic, leaving home in the burbs, and felt like a hamster in the wheel. It cute without feeling like anime, and the hamsters aren’t freaky either. Simple is good. Of course I dont really know anymore about the car, outside of the sweet LEDs around the speakers.

2. Nissan Cube – Ice cream by new pony club

Life style commercial. Work all day Play all night crowd. I get it, and the song slightly fits the commercial. Yet by pushing a certain life style, and the ending with the eco friendly bag pushed this over the top. Not a fan. Someone like my mom would watch this and never remember it. The attempt at being hip pushed it over the edge.

GS Motors

Gas2Org.com reports Chinese Electric Cars Coming To Costco, Wal-Mart 

 

“Yes, the big-box discount store Costco could be selling the Chinese-designed and Mexican-built vehicles says one auto exec. The CEO of GS Motors — Kathleen Ligocki — told the Hybrid Cars website that she thinks the US will follow in Mexico’s footsteps. GS Motors sold 4,000 China-made vehicles in Mexico last year at…Costco and Wal-Mart.”

 

Fun, electric, and cheap?   Would’t this push electric cars to the people who need them most in this economy?    Can you imagine the possibilities with our own spec racing league?    

I can imagine a lot of us buying one of these for a weekend in SF and then returning it on the following Monday.  ”Um, I thought I could use gas in it, but its only electric man, wtf!”  

(Que promo for Electric Car battle reality show on Discovery!) 

To us American’s, the Tato Nano is beyond comprehension.   Why would you give up so much just to drive?   Mostly, because we are spoiled.     This is what cars were back in the 70s to early 80s.   Devoid of wide tires, power steering, Air Conditioning,  Anti-lock brakes, etc.    

Remember, that majority of Indians are still on motorcycles and moped’s, which will give a huge boost to safety (its not uncommon to see a family of 4 or 5 on a Motorcycle.)   

Yes, the roads and infascture aren’t up to the task of supporting a huge influx of affordable cars.    However, it does make many Indians living in small towns mobile,  which will allow them to find opportunities farther away.      (Will Indians village’s become a commuter haven like the Inland Empire near Los Angeles?)  

Time will only tell!

Couple of things that fascinate me; 

• 12 inch wheels.   (I remember 13 inch wheels on Honda’s in the 80s, but 12 inch wheels? Who’s going to make those tires?)
• 3  lugs.  
• No power steering (no car in the US is available with out it)
• Nano’s Engine is under the back seat.  Much like the Toyota Previa
• 650 CC  and 2 cylinders of Fury! 

Autocar.co.uk

Project Sipster is something I would love to do when I actually have a garage.  Oh the woes of living in a 100 year old building.

• 0-60 in 7 seconds
• Under $7,000 to build your own
• 70 mpg

Feel free to comment with projects of your own guys.   By the way; American Top Gear is dead.   No stations picked it up.   

This is a idea my friends and I have been hatching for a while.  

You may ask yourself,  what derserves being classified a “SmallCarOnly” auto?

• Under 3k pounds!   
• Doesn’t matter how the power is put on the floor. FWD,AWD,RWD, 1wd, whatever!
• Auto, manual, dont matter!
• MPG matters.  We will never do a project car post w/out it!
• We love da turns.   Makes us alive again. 

We miss, the simplicity of the past.    E30 BMW’s, Miata’s,  Civics pre 00 whatever.     Hell, a Volvo 240 turbo sedan weighed Less than 2900 pounds.  Amazing how, back then you could have everything, MPG, price, size, and actually could involve yourself in the driving experience in the days of Yore.   

We also love the new Tato Nano!   yay!   And this little thing (From Top gear, thanks Mike for this advanced chop!) 

Come back Soon!