Ginger Alé quenches thirst

This kooky creation hails from Canada and is known as the Fuel Vapor Alé.

But before you dismiss it as a wacky contraption with no redeeming attributes -- other than its offbeat looks -- you should be aware that it can accelerate from zilch to 100km/h in around five seconds, and generate as much cornering grip (1.7G) as a BMW M5.

What's more, the Fuel Vapor Alé is a rated as a low emissions vehicle as it runs on fuel vapour (hence the name), rather than conventional liquid fuel. The result is fuel consumption as frugal as 3L/100km, qualifying it for a 'super low' emissions rating in Canada.

Fuel Vapor says the majority of petrol engines today run 14.7:1 -- 14.7 parts air to one part petrol -- but the Alé is said to run on a ratio of over 20:1 without compromising performance.

Its manufacturer claims it can travel from Vancouver, Canada, to San Francisco, USA, (a distance of 1273km) on a single 10-gallon (38-litre) tank of petrol, yet, it's claimed to be a genuinely rewarding performance car.

"I drove it hard for four solid hours, throwing it into corners, accelerating and braking hard," said Brad Zimmerman, the company's chief labcoat. "The car's performance is spectacular. After all that hard driving, we only went through $10 in gas."

Of course, you will have noticed that the Alé has only three wheels -- two at the front and one at the rear -- but its stability is said to be uncompromised.

The front wheels drive and steer the vehicle and this configuration is claimed to improve fuel efficiency and aerodynamics.

Its Honda-derived 1.5-litre turbocharged engine ekes out just over 130kW, which is enough to propel the three-wheeler to an electronically governed v-max of 225km/h (claimed).

As crazy as it looks, the company is seeking investors to take the Alé into production. Don't expect to ever see one here, though, as it seems unlikely it would ever comply with our ADRs.

FUEL VAPOR ALE FAST FACTS

Body: Hand-laid fiberglass composite
Chassis: Full tube frame with roll cage
Engine: High mileage Honda engine, Turbocharged 1500cc, 2-stage single cam VTEC. Gasoline vapor fuel management system
Power: 130kW
0-60mph (0-96km/h): 5 seconds (claimed)
1/4 mile: 12.9 seconds (claimed)
Transmission: 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic
Front Suspension: Honda CRX with fully adjustable coil over
Rear Suspension: Single-sided swing arm with fully adjustable coil over
Steering: Porsche 911 rack and pinion (2.25 turns lock-to-lock)
Brakes: Front 12.1-inch diameter vented, 4-piston calipers; Rear: 10-inch discs
Wheels: 18x8-inch alloys
Configuration: Two-seat tandem
Dry weight: 635kg

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