Artega Karo-Isetta is a new challenger to the electric bubble car throne
Can the German-made Karo-Isetta throw a wrench in the Swiss-made Microlino's works?
People just can't seem to shake their soft spot for the famous Isetta bubble car. We've seen the Micro Mobility Systems Microlino working on recreating it as a modern EV, and now a new company called Artega, which until a few years ago, was a German sports car manufacturer.
Now, it's decided to turn over a new leaf (figuratively speaking) and become a manufacturer of only electric vehicles, starting with the Karo-Isetta, according to a report published Tuesday by Carscoops. That name is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, the company behind the Microlino filed an injunction against Artega that would have forced it to change the design of the Karo-Isetta, but the two companies ended up settling out of court.
Secondly, the Artega folks are claiming that the descendants of the original Isetta's designer have decided that the Karo-Isetta is the true successor to the original bubble car made famous by Steve Urkel (among others). Is that (and the name) enough to make the Artega Isetta the most legitimate claim to the bubble car throne?
More importantly, who actually cares? Both cars look awesome. The Artega Karo-Isetta will be offered in Germany in two trim levels to start: Intro and Edition. It'll be available in six likely cheeky and vintage-inspired colors and will have a leather and velour interior. The best bit is that the entry-level Edition will cost the equivalent of just $20,100.
For that money, you (assuming you're a brave resident of Germany with money to burn) will get a car that packs 124 miles of range and a positively blistering top speed of 56 miles per hour. (A "Bahn-burner" this is not.) Still, it's not bad for a city car and is as good a top speed as the Microlino can manage.
The car is set to reach early reservation holders in April of this year, while the Microlino isn't due out until 2021.
Artega didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
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