And Now for Something Completely Different
Is the Quark a concept car or the coolest ATV to ever grace the planet? Whatever, it definitely will be the craziest vehicle to be displayed at this year's Paris motor show, concept or otherwise, when the doors open later this month.
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| The Quark Concept is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and four separate wheel-mounted electric motors. Inspired by the future, it's assisted by French drinking water. (Photo: Peugeot) |
It's not a Franco Sbarro creation, or something equally esoteric that might show up at the Tokyo auto show for instance, but rather the Quark comes from French carmaker Peugeot. The name does have a science-fiction ring to it, mind you, and is perfectly suited to this technologically advanced hydrogen fuel-cell demonstration.
It's aggressive for sure, a bit on the wild side and definitely "in-your-face" enough to capture the collective imagination of show goers, in a similar way in which Dodge stole the 2003 Detroit auto show with its outrageous V10 Viper-powered Tomahawk motorcycle. What's most important and completely alien from the Tomahawk, of course, is the Quark's eco-friendly nature.
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| Large 17-inch wheels, unusual for an ATV-styled vehicle, frame massive disc brakes held in place by an independent suspension with road-tuned springs and dampers. (Photo: Peugeot) |
Truly, with its minimalist urban transportation for two twist, Peugeot has blurred the boundaries of the crossover genre by splicing the DNA of an off-road ATV together with the suspension system, brakes and driveline of a sports car.
In terms of size, the 2.38 meter (93.7 in.) long Quark is shorter than the world's smallest smart fortwo, however it's much larger than a regular ATV made all the more obvious by its gargantuan 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in custom-made Michelin rubber.