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Vandenbrink Design is an automotive design, consultancy and engineering services company, located in The Netherlands. It is a privately owned company, founded in 2006 by Michiel van den Brink and Robert Koumans. The industrial designer Michiel van den Brink specialises in automotive design, while Robert Koumans is entrepreneur with a background in automotive and aerospace engineering. The main company focus is on special coachbuilding for exclusive sports cars.
Currently the company is working on the realisation of the "Vandenbrink GTO", originally conceived as the "Ferrari 599 GTO Mugello" concept study. Aluminium coachbuilding will be performed by Hietbrink Coachbuilding (Haaksbergen, The Netherlands).
Vandenbrink is a Dutch automobile company, creators of the Carver.
Vandenbrink first started to look at Man Wide Vehicles (MWV) in 1989 when Chris van den Brink put together a team of designers. In 1994 Chris van den Brink and Harry Kroonen invented the basic concept of Dynamic Vehicle Control (DVC): using a car type steering wheel results in a 'motorcycle-type' tilt of the vehicle's chassis.
Over the next couple of years two Carver Prototypes were built with constant improvements to the hydraulic tilting system and in 1997 the vehicle became approved by the Dutch Government Road Authority to be driven on public roads.
Manufactured in the Netherlands, the Carver is a "Tilting 3-wheeler" that tilts the same as a motorcycle when cornering. The DVC system varies depending upon the speed of the vehicle. Turning whilst going slow will keep the Carver almost upright but with increased speed the Carver will tilt further in the same way a motorcycle does. On gravel/sand the Carver performs like a speedway motorcycle where the front wheel counter steers.
The tilting system also means that this "car", just 1.30 meters wide, can reach cornering speeds (i.e.: lateral accelerations) of Porsches and Ferrari's. This is because the Carver can tilt up to 45 degrees to each side. Furthermore, within 1 second the Carver can tilt from full left to full right.
The vehicle is powered by a 660 cc 4-cylinder engine that also features a turbo intercooler. This combined with a light weight steel chassis with a 2 seater (monocoque design) body that is covered by composite panels gives the Carver a top speed of around 120 mph (190 km/h). The Vandenbrink has passed the EU homologation test which means that Carvers are allowed all through the EU. Wikipedia |
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