r/interestingasfuck • u/DearDirector1288 • 4h ago
In 1991 Mazda engineers built a fully functional car that fit inside a suitcase
•
u/dontKair 4h ago
I imagine there's an electric version of this out now
•
u/AmongTheWildlife 3h ago
Turn that into a motard style race and I'm in.
•
u/Gizombo 2h ago
I think honda has a concept for a suitcase bike
•
u/chedabob 2h ago
Not a concept, you can actually buy it
•
•
•
u/whooptheretis 53m ago
i fekkin hate those sites that are just massive pictures that you have to scroll through. Just show me what I need FFS. Even all the photos are just super close up. I wanna see the whole thing!
•
•
u/Tylrt 1h ago
https://dreamshop.honda.com/s/model-product/a26UT000002Sqc1YAC/a26ut000002sqc1
$995 before dealer pricing. Maybe after I win the Powerball during a later reincarnation
•
•
u/justanawkwardguy 2h ago
No, about 10 years after this came out they decided it was a bad idea to put anything in suitcases
•
u/forgottenendeavours 1h ago
The concept just evolved, shed the 80s legacy stuff, and became electric scooters.
•
u/cyberslick18888 1h ago
There's a $400 version that goes 70mph with Milwaukee battery conversion kit somewhere I'm sure.
I work in a manufacturing facility with a bunch of drunks. It's been hilarious to see guys who had to get taxis, carpool and ride normal bikes to work suddenly have access to cheap e-bikes that go 60mph through town.
Gave all these drunks with no licenses a new out look on life lol
•
u/leekalex 1h ago
Electric version is much easier to fit into a suitcase. It doesn't really take much engineering cleverness
•
u/DearDirector1288 4h ago
The three wheeled Mazda Suitcase Car was created by seven Mazda engineers for the companyās internal āFantasyardā competition in 1991. It used a 33.6cc two stroke engine, weighed about 32 kg (70 lb), could reach around 30 km/h (19 mph), and could be assembled from the suitcase in roughly a minute. It was never mass-produced, but Mazda built additional examples for demonstrations and displayed one at the 1991 Frankfurt International Motor Show
•
u/kurburux 3h ago
weighed about 32 kg (70 lb)
Gonna love hauling that sucker around at the airport!
Ironically the suitcase itself doesn't seem to have wheels.
•
•
u/deanomatronix 1h ago
No but you can buy a small motorised scooter to transport it that helpfully folds away into a small handbag
•
•
•
u/WellsHansen 4h ago
define "fully functional"
•
•
u/stonkadelic 3h ago
Define ācarā
•
u/Janik1311 3h ago
In germany we'd say PKW (Personenkraftwagen) which roughly translates to "people motor vehicle"
•
u/ctiern 2h ago
Define ātranslatesā
•
•
u/Blusset 2h ago
Wouldn't it be more "People Power Wagon"?
•
u/Janik1311 2h ago
technically yes, but I was feeling generous
•
•
u/rips_n_chel 2h ago
That's so vague that I straight up do not believe you. Go-karts don't exist in Germany? You don't have some hyperspecific word for such a vehicle? It is most definitely not the same thing as a car, and "people motor craft" means basically nothing.
•
u/MrHyperion_ 1h ago
At minimum 3 wheels, self propelling and controllable by a person. Dunno how to not include electric 3 wheel bicycle in that definition.
•
•
•
u/Esguelha 3h ago
Sure, "a car". And if my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a bicycle.
•
u/SlightAspect 1h ago
Such a classic scene! I loved that. In fact, I'm going to watch it again right now.
For the unaware youth , here is the link.
•
u/DeliciousIncident 1h ago
On a scale from a horse to a car, I'd say it's closer to a car.
Heck, even on the scale from a horse, to your grandmother, to a bicycle and to a car, it's closer to a car.
•
u/karoshikun 3h ago
i miss this sort of engineering bullshittery, as opposed to corporate c-suite approved crap
•
u/RaptureRising 4h ago
Here I'm thinking why Mazda engineers put a Toyota Racing Development sticker on it?Ā
•
u/MrT735 3h ago
This is a Mazda that has become the first Japanese manufacturer to win Le Mans in 1991, so they're probably throwing shade at Toyota.
•
u/Loopy_shoop 3h ago
Tbf, The Mazda 787b is an engineering masterpiece.
•
u/deathrattleshenlong 3m ago
And got rotary engines banned from LeMans, which are arguably Mazda's signature configuration.
•
•
•
u/Blissfullyaimless 3h ago
I remember being a little kid and my mom told me that they were starting to build cars that could fold into suitcases. I never saw one because the internet wasnāt around, but this is way different than I always imagined. Over time I grew to believe that she had been bamboozled and had passed false info to me.
Thank you for finally validating an old comment from my mom.
•
•
•
•
•
u/iamtheliqor 3h ago
At first I was like, thereās no way they could fit a car in thereā¦ and I was right. They didnāt.
•
u/chillipickle420 3h ago
Honda made a fold up motorcycle that fit in the boot of the Honda City in 1989, what a time to be alive
•
u/Even-Day-3764 2h ago
Reminds me of the Honda Motocompo, a small retractable bike meant to fit in the back of the Honda City.
•
•
•
•
u/Lucky-Crow-3510 3h ago
why does mazda engineer put toyota stickers on the suitcase? i mean we all know why .. but still :)
•
•
•
•
•
u/Azarath08 2h ago
- Here we go 007. Your new transportation.
*Handles James the suitcase*
- I knew the Ministry was cutting our budget , Q, but I didn't realise we were sourcing our fleet from the lost property office.
•
•
•
•
•
u/KamaradBaff 1h ago
This is what I get when I ask : "Good day to you, my good sir. Please would you be so kind as to show me the biggest car I can afford with my bank account ?"
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
u/HippieThanos 3h ago
Totally unrelated but I love that Japanese 80s-90s salary man aesthetic. I don't know what is called
•
•
u/PiratesOfTheArctic 3h ago
This is great! Every few years ago all car engineers should get together and make something crazy
•
u/asdfghjkl15436 3h ago
They still sort of make these today: Motocompacto | Honda which is probably more reasonable then a go-kart.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
u/Legal-Software 2h ago
Other than dressing up as Mario and driving around Shinjuku with this, I don't really see a use case.
•
•
•
•
u/CitizenCue 1h ago
The fact that it doesnāt employ the carās wheels in order to roll nicely in suitcase form tells you a lot about air travel in the late 80s/early 90s.
•
•
u/Icy-Matter-9104 1h ago
Is this where family guy got that bit from with Peter going to Japan with the guys by that airport scene š
•
•
•
•
u/Chief_TeaLeaf2000 1h ago
Trying to lift that suitcase up would be like trying to ask a deaf person if they hear their surroundings
•
•
•
•
u/Substantial__Unit 53m ago
Japanese engineering was the tops in the 1980s and 90s. Its still the tops too.
•
•
•
u/MrJelle 28m ago
Someone actually recently made their own take on this idea: https://youtu.be/rpV4phLQsE4
•
•
u/Septopuss7 16m ago
I prefer the Honda City Turbo that was a fully functional car with a motorcycle inside
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
u/chriiissssssssssss 4h ago
"Car" is doing a heavy Lifting here.
More like a go cart