Tell me about Micro-Cars

Anybody that has spent time driving on Spanish roads will know of the Micro-Car, and curse them - especially when stuck behind one whilst driving on a narrow road when your'e in a rush.

 

A Micro-car is basically a petrol engined, twin-cylinder featherweight city car that claims an average fuel consumption of 65mpg. On paper the given stats of the Microcar seem attractive and make good sense : It has a low weight, low emissions, low insurance, low running costs ( Only let down by having a Low Performance ). Hell, it's not even classed as a car – it's a quadricycle. Because it Is classed as being under 550 Kgs in weight it is legal to drive one on the roads without having either a UK or Spanish Driving licence.

The Microcar is manufactured by the Groupe Bénéteau, a French based company better known for Manufacturing boats . It started building small cars when France introduced a law that states you don't need a licence to drive certain small cars. They seem to be popular in rural Spain and other places where people basically want a scooter with a roof. For Almond farmers or those needing a little more space, there is a LWB four-seater version available, which is 275mm longer. Or a LWB two-seat version if you're greedy.

Despite annoying most other road users by driving slower than a three-legged tortoise walks - half on and half off the hard shoulder at that - they are an economical mode of transport , and one that is particularly attractive if not having a licence is an issue.

How Much do they cost ? Around 8'000 Euros

Tell me about the Engine... 505cc 2-cylinder, 21bhp @ 5400rpm

What about the Transmission ? CVT, Front Wheel Drive

Ok, How about Performance ? 12.0sec 0-50mph, 72mph

What's it Made of ? Glass-Fibre and Metal Alloys

How Heavy is it ? 355Kg

What are the Dimensions ? 2855mm Long / 1495mm Wide / 1455mm High

A new EU Directive is due to come into force which states that each EU Member state can deem such vehicle to be driven on the road without the need for a license or not. Technically, you can drive a micro-car on the road in Spain if you hold a UK Provisional License, however, it is recommended that you seek appropraite advice from a micro-car dealer to receive advise that is relevant to you. We are waiting for clarification on this subject and will be posting further details when we have them.