Almost three years ago, I saw a prototype of the Carver One at the Los Angeles Auto Show. I was so impressed that I went to the manufacturer's website and booked marked it for future reference. I wanted it three years ago and I still want it today.

So what is a Carver? It's a rare form of hybrid -- a motorcycle combined with a city car. In "car-speak" this thing is classified as a "tilting three-wheeler". This type of vehicle has been around almost since the beginning of motorized transportation. The top car companies in the world have experimented with TTWs including Mercedes-Benz, BMW and GM! However the Carver One is the first TTW to actually come to market in modern times.

In 2005, Peugeot showed its 20Cup Concept car. This three-wheeler uses two front wheels and one rear wheel with a front engine front drive layout. It's super cool, but don't hold your breath waiting in line for one. It's not likely that it will be produced let alone make it to the Port of Los Angeles.

Chris van den Brink is the Dutch aeronautic engineer who developed the fully-automatic mechanical-hydraulic dynamic vehicle control (DVC) system that allows the Carver One, a slender, three-wheeled, twin-seat tilting vehicle to combine the agility of a motorcycle with the comfort and safety of a car.

The Carver One has an enclosed cockpit that seats two in tandem and uses a steering wheel rather than handle bars. The two rear wheels are driven by a small (660 cc) four cylinder, sixteen valve turbocharged Daihatsu engine that develops 68 hp at 7,500 rpm with maximum torque of 74 lb ft at 4,000 rpm. The transmission is a 5-speed manual (with reverse) that you operate with a stick and a car clutch pedal. The Carver has ventilated disc brakes on all wheels, also operated by a car pedal. It has a top-rated speed of 115 mph with a zero-sixty time of approximately 8.2 seconds. The Carver is 11.1 feet long, 4.2 feet wide and 4.5 feet high. It weighs just 1,411 pounds. It gets about 43 mpg on regular gasoline.

Carver's own tag line bills the Carver One as "the most advanced sports car in the world". The heart of this vehicle is its tilting technology -- DVC™. The company that owns the intellectual property for this and other tilting systems is controlled by Chris van den Brink -- Advanced Technology Licensing Company. ATLC's website describes the system in fairly non-engineer friendly terms:

The DVC™ technology comprises a series of innovations and devices, all designed to create optimal driving performance to a tilting vehicle. It comprises a feedback-controlled tilting system enabling the vehicle to lean into corners always keeping in perfect balance. It consists of a robust mechanical/hydraulic system that is supported by an electronic fine-tuning system. Its function is based on a hydraulic valve control system that senses the side-force on the front wheel to control the position of the cabin.

The result is, from all accounts, a truly thrilling ride that matches the handling capabilities of the best sports cars from the Italians and Germans. It's a great city car for the narrow streets and tight parking spaces of the major European cities. I think it would a great ride here in LA, SF, NYC or any other crowded urban environment.

It has roll bar protection in the form of lateral steel bars that form the roofline, doors and side windshield line. A nice feature is that the roof structure between these bars can be removed giving the riders an open air ride. Of course the windshield has a wiper so the Carver is completely functional in all weather.

In the European Union, the Carver One is qualified as a motorcycle for tax (VAT) purposes; however you only need a normal drivers' license to purchase and drive/ride this car. And it's not a concept any longer. It's really for sale in the EU, complete with factory service, crate delivery to your doorstep, mobile mechanic service and customization options like Alcantara interior upholstery, special paint colors and even GPS navigation with Bluetooth mobile phone hands-free technology. In its home country of The Netherlands, the Carver sells for 39,000 euros. Ouch!

It doesn't get much better for export. The base Carver's export price is around $36,500 plus around $2,000 shipping to Los Angeles. And when you get it here, you are on your own to get it certified with the EPA, Department of Transportation and the California DMV. The company tells me that, at this time, they can't ship to a US citizen or company. I got the impression that they have tried to get it into the US without success.

I checked California Vehicle Code to see how the Carver One would be classified. Section 400(a) defines "motorcycle":

A "motorcycle" is any motor vehicle having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider, designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, and weighing less than 1,500 pounds.

In addition, California's Health and Safety Code Section 44011(a)(1) (effective 1April 2005) continues to exempt motorcycles from the Clean Air Act as codified in Health and Safety Code Section 43000. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that California would be okay with the Carver, if, and that's a big "if" the Feds let it in.

The federal Department of Transportation defines a "motorcycle" in essentially the same language as that adopted by California. Unfortunately, the feds won't allow the Carver into the US unless it was originally manufactured to comply with all applicable FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) and bears a label certifying such compliance that is permanently affixed by the original manufacturer.

The certification process is very expensive and time consuming. A small company without sufficient capital would find the process a major impediment to entering the US market. However, there is some good news. Vandenbrink B.V., the manufacturer of the Carver, has begun the certification process for importation to the US. The company is also in the process of lining up US dealers for the Carver. The Daihatsu engine will have to be replaced with something more familiar to US mechanics (maybe Toyota?), but that shouldn't be too hard to find. In addition, the company is working on the Carver Two which could be mass-produced rather than hand made as is the case with the Carver One.

The current business plan is to manufacture the new Carver in sufficient volume to reduce the US retail price to $20,000 -- a much more palatable price point for cool technology and cutting edge design. The company's marketing and communications manager, Saskia Broeckx, believes the Carver Two should be on sale in the US in 2007. In the automotive world, that's a very short period of time; however, as a motorcycle, I think the hoops to jump through are fewer and the fact that the Carver can be sold along side other brands in existing motorcycle dealerships make the likelihood of the company meeting its goal a better bet. The Carver is engineered to meet EU regulations, which are now very close to US regulations.

It would be ironic if Mercedes-Benz brings the Smart brand to the US the same year as the Carver. One is a car, one is a motorcycle; however, they both provide transportation for two. It will be interesting to see what happens. I'll be in line for one of the first US Carvers. It's definitely the choice for the "car" enthusiast.

If you'd like more information on the Carver and its technology, visit their European website: http://www.carver-europe.com. They have some pretty fun videos online that you can watch showing the Carver One in action and the reactions of some of the drivers. The dialog is in English, which is very common for the Netherlands.