Looks like a four stroke in the picture…with those fat front tires I bet torque-steer’s a bitch!

Long steering column and rearward placement of driver means a whole new engineering model for frame flex….I wonder if inside rear lift will be the norm?

“Grasshopper, you must achieve proper ‘male dog pissing’ posture to get thru apex faster!”  :)

Kudos to them for dreaming it up and making it a reality! On the other hand I see it as just another “karting” novelty like a kart with a 1300cc Hyabusa motor strapped to it, or 10,000 ft-lbs worth of electric motors, or 2 person karts, or 4 engines, or 6 wheels, or hoverkarts… ;)

Not sure what they accomplished that couldn’t have been done by taking the body off of a small FWD car? I guess by shrinking it down to a kart size, they are able to race with other non-FWD karts… Not sure I buy that it really is that good for training as lift-off oversteer seems minor in trying to learn to race a car with a relatively large amount of suspension travel and mass when compared to a kart.

AH KILL IT WITH FIRE

So hideous. Karting’s got the worst case of “can’t leave well-enough alone”. New engines, series, rules etc. pop up every week. And then we get this thing…

It has no purpose. If these guys think anyone is going to move “up” from traditional karts to this jalopy, I would venture to guess they are wrong.

Ug the heat.

I like their construction/engineering ideas.  Proof is in performance.

It’s very easy to poo-poo anything different.  Anyone can do that.  It takes independent confidence to try new ideas.

Maybe they’re training drivers for the new Nissan LMP1 car, set to race at Le Mans in a couple of weeks.  Quite similar dynamics.

This isn’t new. fwd stuff was tried awhile back, rummage around the vintage sites.
Can I assume they at least hacked the rear axle in half, put on 2 more bearings and another brake on? Must be a shifter of some sort, don’t see any chain, and given the length of the steering column and all that wt up front, how’s about a bigger steering wheel? There’s a purpose for this I’m sure, though I’m at a loss as to what it is. Everyone else up to this point that moved from karts to cars seemed to do really swell, why go through all that? Is that grumpy guy that made solo karts over there still in the business? Betcha he could weld up some standard beauties at much less cost. Betcha.

https://scontent-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/10252082_10153054473709872_4850632489493843510_n.jpg?oh=0a62d7a01a5b43c83c38147df948cb2b&oe=55AC99EC

NO!! Just no!!

Just what karting doesn’t need! Another class. Not to mention the expense.

I am amazed and frankly disappointed that the karting world and for that matter, the whole racing world finds innovation so distasteful. Racing has become a completely boring “oneness, sameness, gotta just have what everyone haveness”. Creativity is not only frowned upon, it’s been mostly legislated out of racing. I am not saying this fwd kart is a good idea, time will tell. But I find the creativity refreshing.

Okay, you guys can close this thread now and go back to your green kart and on single make engine racing.

I agree Mr. Tappas but this thing is a bit over the top and can’t be considered a kart with that front suspension.

It probably has better traction in the snow than rear wheel drive!