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. [M3 Frontpage]
[M3 Powertrain] [M3
Interior] [M3 on the Road] Pininfarina developed M3, the METROCUBE The research for an innovative approach to mobility is not new for Pininfarina: METROCUBO is a different and more actual response to this theme if compared to the most recent studies about a family of environmentally friendly cars, that can make a real contribution to the problems posed by urban areas that are both congested and heavily polluted.
Back in 1994, Pininfarina
proposed Ethos 3, a small compact saloon that could seat six people in an area just 3.20 m
long and 1.7 m wide and featured a thermic three cylinder engine which combined fuel
efficiency with low consumption and almost near-to-zero emissions.Then came Eta Beta in 1996, an MPV just 3
meters long, the flexibility of its 4-seater interior deriving from the fact that its rear
overhang could be extended by 20 cm, its adaptability to an in-town and out-of-town use
thanks to its hybrid "dual power" propulsion system.
Both of these earlier models adopted innovative aluminum chassis and totally recyclable bodies made of thermoplastic materials, so that they were environment-friendly not just throughout their lifetime but beyond. The challenge, when making an innovative proposal on this theme, consisted in further increasing the "density" and the intelligence of the design, by reducing the used volume (motors, transmission, batteries, reducing gears, etc.), while increasing the usable internal volume. [Homepage]
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