mikeyb
11-29-2007, 03:42 PM
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_463/car_photo_231687_5.jpg
Auto Express is reporting that BMW is currently considering bringing back the Isetta, the three-wheel mini car with a door where the hood should be that achieved pop-culture celebrity status as the personal whip of Urkel on the sit-com Family Matters (did I just date myself?). Unlike the original, the modern interpretation will have four wheels and two doors on the sides (damn safety regulations), but it will retain the rear-engine layout of the original. While BMW has not corroborated any of this speculation, there are many reasons why resurrecting the Isetta would be a good move for the Munich-based automaker. For one, the minicar segment is a robust one around the world, especially Europe where the new Isetta would do battle with the Fiat 500, smart fortwo and Volkswagen's up! lineup. Secondly, the Isetta would be powered by a clean engine that, coupled with its light weight, would yield the most eco-friendly BMW of them all. Its inclusion in the propellor's line up would serve to bring down the average emissions of BMW's entire fleet. Finally, the Isetta brand is eminently bankable thanks to the cult status it's achieved in car culture and the generally fun and jolly nature of the original. Hopefully, however, Urkel didn't damage the brand too much back in the '90s.
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_463/car_photo_231684_5.jpg
Auto Express is reporting that BMW is currently considering bringing back the Isetta, the three-wheel mini car with a door where the hood should be that achieved pop-culture celebrity status as the personal whip of Urkel on the sit-com Family Matters (did I just date myself?). Unlike the original, the modern interpretation will have four wheels and two doors on the sides (damn safety regulations), but it will retain the rear-engine layout of the original. While BMW has not corroborated any of this speculation, there are many reasons why resurrecting the Isetta would be a good move for the Munich-based automaker. For one, the minicar segment is a robust one around the world, especially Europe where the new Isetta would do battle with the Fiat 500, smart fortwo and Volkswagen's up! lineup. Secondly, the Isetta would be powered by a clean engine that, coupled with its light weight, would yield the most eco-friendly BMW of them all. Its inclusion in the propellor's line up would serve to bring down the average emissions of BMW's entire fleet. Finally, the Isetta brand is eminently bankable thanks to the cult status it's achieved in car culture and the generally fun and jolly nature of the original. Hopefully, however, Urkel didn't damage the brand too much back in the '90s.
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_463/car_photo_231684_5.jpg