01 Mar 06
The Geneva Motor Show always features bizarre concepts from low-volume European manufacturers and consultancies, but the ACREA Zest is actually destined for production.
The French firm (L'Atelier de Creation Automobile) plans to market this two-seater open microcar - which is classified as a quadricycle and thus, in some European countries, subject to tax breaks and exemption from the need to hold a full driving licence - through a network of specialist dealers across the Continent.
The Zest has a two-cylinder, 21bhp 505cc engine, which should be ultra-economical if not exactly powerful. It's lightweight, though, with a thermoplastic bodyshell and plastic body panels. A removable hard-top and full windscreen will be optional.
