I've got thermal underwear on, jeans, waterproof trousers, a T-shirt, a shirt, a woollen jumper, a gilet, a down jacket, gloves, a scarf and a full-face helmet. And I'm still freezing cold.
Matt Prior is obviously made of tougher stuff because it doesn't look like there's quite so much ice coursing through his veins, but then that's because he's used to this frigid transport malarkey, on account of his bike licence.
The reason we are suffering for our art, dear reader, lies underneath us, as Matt and I are sitting in the Polaris RZR and Segway Villain respectively, two off- and on-road buggies that are aiming to change the way we feel about these previous farm and forestry workhorses. We're here to answer a very simple question: in the age of ever costlier cars and ever more crowded roads, could these be the Sunday 'cars' for the 2020s?
There's no doubt that they do offer something different, as evidenced by their specs. The Segway Villain is the all-new offering, from the same company that built the funky two-wheeled 'personal transporter' of the early 2000s - but if you're expecting something electric with a clever gyroscope, you'll be disappointed.
It hails from the US, like all these things, and is most definitely not powered by electricity. Not if the raucous engine noise is anything to go by. This is a 1000cc four-stroke twin-cylinder petrol developed and built by Segway. It doesn't produce much power or torque (104bhp and 69lb ft, fed through a CVT transmission with high/low ratios) but then it weighs only 860kg.
Besides, acceleration and top speed aren't what these are about. No one is going to commute in a Villain, especially not with the usage conditions (see accompanying story, p53).
Denne historien er fra February 15, 2023-utgaven av Autocar UK.
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Denne historien er fra February 15, 2023-utgaven av Autocar UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The venomous nature of the Cobra
Last week, Matt Prior drove a totally new kind of AC Cobra. This is a car with one of the strongest allures of all - but also an incredibly complex and controversial history.
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THE SEVEN-YEAR TITCH
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VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
Wolfsburg gives the lesser-known Golf PHEV a big-impact refresh
PORSCHE PANAMERA GTS
Stuttgart's latest 'bahnstormer targets driver appeal over outright punch
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Hardcore variant of V8 sports car engineered with track days in mind
TESLA REVEALS ROBOTAXI
Firm unveils Cybercab coupé and 20-seat Robovan in autonomy push
DACIA PLOTS AMBITIOUS EXPANDED EURO LINE-UP
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