I of course know what a go-kart is, and on one trip to Malibu Speedway with Patrick for my birthday a bunch of years ago, drove one for awhile. I think I still have my "driver's license" from that little trip. Does Malibu Speedway even exist still? I think my top speed in the go-kart was what? 25 miles an hour (I'm an animal)? Which, when you think of it, is pretty fast when you're that close to the ground. Anyway, to give you an idea of how long ago this was, I wore my tiny old favorite 501s, a flannel shirt, and brown boots. Yes: I may have been dressed in Grunge.
Anyway, I did a little half-assed research, and I discovered that go-karts typically lack a suspension, and a differential (and a roof, but let's not get too technical). I had a vague idea of what the differential is, but now I can tell you definitively that the differential is that thing that allows the tires to travel at different speeds. Apparently this comes in handy when taking curves. I will be sure to thank my differential next time I make one of my patented 12-point turns.
Go-karts are also sometimes (always? My memory of what I just read is vague) equipped with racing tires ("slicks"). I recall that my brother's cherry red 1971 Chevy Nova (which, when started, caused new cracks in the dining room wall of my parents' home) had slicks. I also recall him promising to let me drive it if I'd help him bleed the brakes. He sold that gorgeous car a while ago, and no, I never got to drive it. Gypped!
In all honesty, driving a go-kart sounds fun. Mini's sure are cute. And 37 miles a gallon sounds like heaven. I would love to ride in one (hello, friend! You know who you are! Gimme a ride, would you?), and would even consider buying one, if I were in the market for a new car. But I'm not, which is lucky, because I'm not sure what exactly they're trying to sell me with the "go-kart handling" line.
..
My work had a little car show today, where they were supposedly going to showcase all the hybrid and electric vehicles we have been buying and using throughout... wherever it is I work. We have various fleet vehicles and are responsible for providing cars and maintenance and repair to other departments. They sent an announcement last week that at the car show, they would have a 2009 Honda Civic CNG, a 3rd generation Toyota Prius (with solar... something), a Plug-In Toyta Prius, an electric Mini Cooper, and some sort of Ford propane truck for us to learn about. I went out there today hoping to get some brochures, sit in a couple of new cars, and hear about how these cars work.
Instead, a bunch of women from Finance and I all hopped in the unlocked vehicles, where we found no brochures, nobody to talk to, and learned nothing other than DAMN that's a big ol' battery in the back seat of the electric Mini. But how does it work?
All in all, I was surprisingly dissatisfied. Usually events like this put on by my department are better.
Also, the speedometer in the electric mini is ridiculously huge. I've seen smaller clocks around Flavor Flav's neck. I've seen smaller clocks on schoolroom walls. It's possible Big Ben is smaller.
This picture, with nothing to compare it to, does it no justice. That thing was easily the size of Stewart Copeland's head.
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