- by Trish Whelan
Bedouin quick-change artist
24 February 2003: Rinspeed Design, the Swiss powerhouse for automotive concepts and emotions, once again presents a unique attraction this year, the Rinspeed Bedouin.
At the push of a button the Rinspeed Bedouin can be transformed from a two-seater pick-up into a sporty four-seater wagon sporting the trendy ‘allroad’ look. The rear space gained by the transformation can alternatively be used as an enclosed cargo bed by folding down the backrests of the rear seats.
The transformation sequence starts with the entire roof being lifted electrically. Then the front part of the roof folds and in effect becomes the tailgate window while the rear part of the roof turns into the cargo bed. The tailgate is also electrically powered and can be lowered to extend the bed by another 45 centimeters to an overall length of 185 centimeters. The entire transformation mechanism is equipped with redundant self-locking safeties and is operated with a remote control.
The Rinspeed Bedouin is powered by a twin-turbo engine running on natural gas. The four-valve engine is from Porsche and produces 420 hp / 309 kW at 6,000 rpm. It delivers its impressive maximum torque of 560 Nm at just 2,700 rpm. Thus equipped the 1,640-kg Bedouin accelerates in roughly 5.9 seconds to 100 km/h and reaches an electronically and mechanically limited top speed of 250 km/h.
©2003 irishcar.com