4-seat Insight?

[ElectricTroy]

IMHO, insight could easily be modified to carry 4 people while still getting over 60MPG on the highway:
- eliminate the storage bin
- move the battery back (make it civic-sized)
- insert seats in the newly-opened space

Presto! Room for 4 adults, or 2 adults + 3 children. If they can squueze 4 seats into a porsche (or beetle for that matter), they can do the same with the modified insight I envision.

And it would meet the In-duh-vidual Consumer's demand that their car "must" have four seats.... thereby boosting sales.... instead of the barely-selling 2-seat model that 99% of buyers consider impractical.

Basically, it would be a baby Prius with >60 mpg.

[b1shmu63]

This topic has already been discuussed at length here.

http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/vie ... 0&start=30

The Insight is no longer produced, and there is no simple, safe, practical, or economical way to convert one as you are suggesting. I have seen a Hyundai Pony converted to a stretch limo, so I'll admit it is theoretically possible. However, unless you or another member have plans to do so I consider this topic a dead issue.

[joecvt]

Originally Posted by ElectricTroy

IMHO, insight could easily be modified to carry 4 people while still getting over 60MPG on the highway:

This has already been discussed as off topic in a different post and many people have already disagreed. Go ahead and do the "easy" mod and post some pictures of the "4 seater" afterwards. One of the pictures should include 4 six foot adults sitting comfortably inside (not just two in the back with the front seats pushed up all of the way) That seems like a fair request IMO.

Have you looked under the car near the IMA section?...Here is a picture under the Insight with the gas tak removed: http://ev.whitecape.org/insight/P0001742.JPG

The floor board area stops behind the front seat. Your back seat cushion will be on top of the highest point of metal shown in the middle of the picture not allowing enough room for the upper torso of your body. If the driver is tall, you will have absolutely no leg room (foot room).

Here is a picture of the whole IMA battery area removed: http://ev.whitecape.org/insight/P0001737.JPG

That high area hump in the metal is the same area that I was talking about when looking under the car. Again, this is your cushion area for your back seat. That part of the seat would be too high. Compare that height to your front seats and picture in your mind the slope of the rear hatch area.

I'm not saying that the rear seat is impossible, just not pratical unless the front occupants have short legs and the rear occupants have short upper torsos.

JoeCVT - Just your average six foot one CVT owner