We’ve been getting LOTS of excited emails on this HOT scoop from green.AutoBlog’s Jeremy Korzeniewski. He’s got a full line of pretty images and some details on the possible return of the BMW C1 in the form of the C1-E concept. My first response is “PLEASE be more than just a concept!” followed shortly by a “PLEASE come to the USA!”.
I’m pretty sure BMW is going to hold this card until we see some battery tech improvements coupled with a couple of years of skyrocketing gas prices. The C1 was a GREAT, proven feat of engineering from a safety standpoint. There were only few minor flaws with the old design; slightly poky performance, a tad bit top-heavy & wind prone and a hefty sticker price. The only MAJOR flaw from BMW was hoping that UK safety departments would bend the rules to allow C1 commuters to ride without a helmet… that never passed, so charging people the extra loot and not offering a solution for helmet hair proved fatal to the C1, living only two years before vanishing from showroom floors.
Thanks to Grant and Fred for being the first two to serve up that fresh scoop!
I’d love to experience the return of the dream (as seen below)
I may end up having to settle for THIS instead.
7. October 2009 at 6:09 pm
Being buckled in a two wheeled vehicle seems so dangerous to me.
I'd much rather be ejected than pinned inside the scooter.
Am I the only one who feels this way?
16. October 2010 at 10:41 pm
I’m with you on that one, Hans. Do not want!
7. October 2009 at 7:28 pm
It looks like one half of a Smart car.
8. October 2009 at 6:18 am
I'm no longer convinced that riding the C1 without protective gear is a good idea. Take a good look at the girl in the picture…then imagine her lowsiding. I see some serious road rash on the arm and possible contact between skull and pavement.
Buckling up inside that wraparound frame certainly would save her torso, but only her torso. Perhaps it would be effective against T-boning a car, too, but there's just a huge hole in the C1's protection on the sides.
That said, the C1 plus proper gear probably gives the best chance of survival on two wheels.
8. October 2009 at 8:29 pm
Hrm… yeah, I could see the arm thing being a problem, but I think with the proper cinching, that you're head wouldn't get past your shoulders. Not sure.
here's a bigger image of the old C1
http://www.canim.net/motors/resimler/BMW_C1_Bond_Street_2000_01_1024x768.jpg
8. October 2009 at 8:30 pm
Here you can see how a big guy fits on the C1 without a seatbelt:
http://www.baljer.de/bmwc1/IMG_0628.JPG
13. October 2009 at 6:38 pm
Definitely wouldn't want to be buckled into that thing.
15. October 2009 at 2:54 pm
We used to make jokes about seat belts on a bike……..No way!