Preview: 2009 Loremo LS

Preview: 2009 Loremo LS

Low-resistance mobile car gets 1.5 L/100 km

By Kevin “Crash” Corrigan

The German-designed Loremo could reach North America as soon as 2009. It gets 1.5 litres/100 km of diesel fuel.

There's the owner of a nice little Hybrid berating the owner of a large SUV about his wastage of fossil fuels and how all gas-guzzling SUVs should be banned from our streets. I pull up in my new car and join in with “You lunatic, that fuel-wasting machine of yours is going to cost my children their future!” The Hybrid owner smiles and looks away. “Wait a minute mate,” I say, “I was talking to you, too!”

After all, my new car does 1.5 L/100 km (157 mpg) and can carry a family of four at speeds of over 100 mph.

Sounds like a joke, eh! Well, it's not; this could become reality in less time than you think. 2009 in fact.

Bavaria is well-known for its innovative car makers and Loremo AG is the newest of this breed. The company was founded in 2000 by Gerhard Heilmaier, Stefan Ruetz and Uli Sommer and is planning to introduce a small series of the first 1.5-litre 2+2 seater onto the roads. The Loremo is a lightweight vehicle whose development has taken a radical new direction: less is more and the most efficient use of energy is not to use it at all. From this motive, new ideas sprang, which gradually made it into the design.

Even the name Loremo, for low resistance mobile, speaks of its streamlining and economy.

Not only is the energy efficiency reflected in the dynamic, elegant lines of the Loremo, it is also in its sporting nature. The distinctive, powerful front stretches softly into the extended rear. There is no B-pillar as the panorama roof has no load-bearing function and is simply bolted to the roll bar. The nose close to the street does away with a monstrous radiator grill and instead, an opening provides access to the aerodynamic underside.

Unusually, the car is entered from the front, for which the entire hood of the car, including the windshield, is tipped forwards, allowing for upright boarding into the interior. The vertically opening tailgate provides the entry to the back seats.

The “Janusseater”- two seats are in front of the pyramidal cross support and two rear-facing seats are behind it - is equipped with super-light ergonomic seats embedded in the linear cell structure. The spartan, sporty interior design does away with unnecessary fittings. High-quality interior furnishing in alcantara provides spacious luxury and comfort.

2009 Loremo: Front passengers enter from the raised front.

A 95-kg (209-lb) lightweight steel chassis, a patented linear cell structure, is said to perform well above average in crash simulations and provides excellent handling characteristics with its low centre of gravity and torsional stiffness.

Of particular note is the rear differential-link axle, which combines the advantages of longitudinal and semi-trailing link axles. This brings a sporty but secure handling of the car.

The 20 hp (15 kW) two-cylinder turbo-diesel motor powers the 450-kg. (209-lb.) Loremo LS to up to 160 km/h (100 mph). It accelerates from zero to 100 km/h (63 mph) in 20 seconds. Fuel consumption is tiny: 1.5 litres/100 km (157 mpg)! The Loremo GT model features a three-cylinder turbodiesel with a maximum speed of 220 km/h and a 0-100 time of 9 seconds.

At only 384 cm (151 in.) long, 136 cm (62 in.) wide, Loremo AG has developed a true small car. In driving fun the 110 cm (43 in.) flat, economical sports car easily runs against the large competitors and all for a predicted purchase price of around $15,000.

If you think that I made this up the last time that I was abducted by aliens, then check out the company website at www.loremo.com. Mind you, there is no mention so far of whether it will be available in Canada.

Kevin "Crash" Corrigan, a writer based in Caledon, Ont., can be reached at crash@crashcorrigan.ca.

2009 Loremo: Rear seat passengers face backwards.