Michel Gitano Pinoymade HYBRID sports car

**hein** · September 26th, 2011 03:24 AM

Originally Posted by blue_gambit

I wonder whats the platform? tubular space frame? hehehe

Ok lang if galing sa states yung engine, Pagani nga Mercedes gamit eh. Nothing wrong with that.

Even if its hand-made here there nothing wrong with that... Ever seen how RR-phantom is made? hand-crafted baby...

Looking at the form of the GT111, the chassis used is a Copy of the 1960's AC Cobra frame, 50 year old technology.

So don't expect any Ferrari-beating performance here.

The GT111 is a Fibreglass Kit Car, through and through.

**uls** · September 26th, 2011 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by blue_gambit

Sana affordable for pinoys here din, para mag ka sports car tyo... hehehe

may affordable sports car naman nabibili dito

yung Hyundai GC

baka mas mahal pa Gitano car kesa Hyundai GC

**niky** · September 26th, 2011 10:52 AM

I do wish them the best of luck, but let's face reality:

Making a new sports car and selling it to the market is a risky business.

Even if you're building it as a kit, which simplifies things like road-legality requirements in some countries and allows you to use off-the-shelf parts, it's difficult to make a profit.

Even in the US, the land of kit-cars (changes in MOT procedures have made it too difficult to sell kits in the UK nowadays), you have lots of contenders that are high-class but don't really sell in high volumes...

Some of the more original (not Cobra/Daytona/Lambo copies) kits:

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For this project to succeed, there has to be a building partner in the US and any other market where the car will be sold. This provides funds for more development. Possibly the shells and bodies can be made here for cheap, then shipped to the US for fitting of the drive-trains, with a duplicate facility here for fitting drivetrains to the small number of cars that will be sold locally (and remember, electric or hybrid drivetrain importation for manufacturers is tax free).

Hopefully it's a full-tube frame and not just Cobra underpinnings... the ancient suspension doesn't suit a modern-looking car like this.

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RE: possible price... with no secondhand parts and a full interior (perhaps a 'glass dashboard and door inners covered with rubber then suede, with off-the-shelf gauges and some nice leather seats... all brand new), 2-3m at the very least. Probably 3m with about 200 hp in power and battery packs for a 60 kilometer range... At least I'm hoping it can be made for that little.

**uls** · September 26th, 2011 12:32 PM

niky:

I do wish them the best of luck, but let's face reality:

ya people gotta be realistic

crab mentality agad ang tawag sa opinion ng ibang tao

people only wanna hear praises -- go pinoy!! meron na tayo panlaban sa ferrari!! galing ng pinoy!!

easy lang

there are rational people in this thread

it's one thing to build a prototype. commercial production is totally another thing

how many units of Tesla Roadster (most successful electric sports car) have ever been produced? less than 2500. and they'll end production in December 2011

let's just take things as it is now -- it's a prototype

layo kasi iniisip ng iba dyan

it's like they're saying Gitano cars will be as common as toyota vios sa kalye ng Pinas. gagawin pa daw taxi

i'm sure globally there are hundreds of electric car projects being worked on right now

how many of them will make it to commercial production?

**uls** · September 26th, 2011 01:28 PM

RE: possible price... with no secondhand parts and a full interior (perhaps a 'glass dashboard and door inners covered with rubber then suede, with off-the-shelf gauges and some nice leather seats... all brand new), 2-3m at the very least. Probably 3m with about 200 hp in power and battery packs for a 60 kilometer range... At least I'm hoping it can be made for that little.

someone planning to buy a car with 2 to 3 million peso budget

what cars can he choose from?

isama mo dyan ang isang electric kit car

what are the chances the buyer will choose the electric kit car

**shadow** · September 26th, 2011 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by uls

niky:

ya people gotta be realistic

crab mentality agad ang tawag sa opinion ng ibang tao

people only wanna hear praises -- go pinoy!! meron na tayo panlaban sa ferrari!! galing ng pinoy!!

easy lang

there are rational people in this thread

it's one thing to build a prototype. commercial production is totally another thing

how many units of Tesla Roadster (most successful electric sports car) have ever been produced? less than 2500. and they'll end production in December 2011

let's just take things as it is now -- it's a prototype

layo kasi iniisip ng iba dyan

it's like they're saying Gitano cars will be as common as toyota vios sa kalye ng Pinas. gagawin pa daw taxi

i'm sure globally there are hundreds of electric car projects being worked on right now

how many of them will make it to commercial production?

ganun talaga uls, if you're a Filipino and not supportive of whatever Filipino "success", you'll be branded as having a crab mentality or naiinggit lang...pleaasseee...

what did I said on the either thread, misplaced pinoy pride.

**foifoi05** · September 27th, 2011 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by hein

This is like the PhUV, but in a nicer form.

mismo, they should just revive the PhUV in a nicer form

**frag** · September 27th, 2011 11:46 PM

some new pics! here are a couple of promotional posters of the gitano for the SEMA show:

gitano SEMA posters

donbuggy, ry_tower: thanks for the support!

first_light, kulotzki, niky: i don't know how what the target market is for the michel team, or what their plans are for distribution, but the gitano will be made in the philippines, and the creators are committed to getting as much local content in to the car as possible.

uls: or even just 50 units, or maybe 2,000. Lord knows. as a pinoy motoring enthusiast, i only hope that it does well and that our local automotive industry improves

hein: unfortunately, you're right - we don't have the expertise here to produce the powertrain. but aside from the body and interior, the glass, chassis, parts of the suspension, and some of the electrical system will be locally made.

blue_gambit, hein: the prototype used an existing car's chassis (not sure what it was based on) to save time, but the space-frame's layout is already in the works. i also hope that the car will handle well, but that's never been the strong suit of electric cars, due to the weight of the batteries. still, i do hope they figure it out.

uls: i agree with you on tempering expectations. the prototype is nowhere near being roadworthy, and at this point, nobody can say if it will succeed or flop. and the sad truth is that most ventures do fail, while only a select few get anywhere. i just hope that this can be the exception to the rule. but about making electric taxis... i don't think that's what the michel guys are going for. but as for specifics on pricing, target market, etc? i have no idea what they have in mind. i just know that their first customer is based in England.

anyway, i think everyone here hopes for the day when we can be proud of a filipino-made car that is sold worldwide. maybe it won't be this car. and hey, not everyone is going to like it. it doesn't have to be "crab mentality" - some may just not like the way it looks, or some people may not like electric cars on principle. as i said in an earlier post, constructive criticism will only help the creators improve, so have at it! nobody can blame anyone for having an opinion.

my opinion, however, is this: if a group if filipinos gave it a shot, and did it for the right reasons, too - the love of cars and motoring, and not to make a quick buck - i will support them. so hat's off to them, and i wish them all the luck in the world.

cheers!

**uls** · September 28th, 2011 12:29 PM

uls: or even just 50 units, or maybe 2,000. Lord knows. as a pinoy motoring enthusiast, i only hope that it does well and that our local automotive industry improves

uls: i agree with you on tempering expectations. the prototype is nowhere near being roadworthy, and at this point, nobody can say if it will succeed or flop. and the sad truth is that most ventures do fail, while only a select few get anywhere. i just hope that this can be the exception to the rule.

kaya there's a saying don't count chicken...

bow ako if you guys sell 50 units

good luck dudes

**ghosthunter** · September 28th, 2011 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by frag

i also hope that the car will handle well, but that's never been the strong suit of electric cars, due to the weight of the batteries. still, i do hope they figure it out.

Contrary to your expectations, electric cars can be made to handle & accelerate well if performance was it's primary goal and money was not a major issue. It is easier to distribute the car's battery mass over it's chassis since there is no mechanical link between the battery and motor. Li-Ion batteries would be lighter than cheap lead-acid batteries.

Most electric cars were meant to be commuter cars hence the higher emphasis on driving range than performance. But there are a few electric cars that are meant to be high performance cars from the start.

Tesla Roadster
Venturi Fétish
Wrightspeed X1 (electric Ariel Atom)
Zytek Lotus Elise
Fisker Karma