garia

Another Excuse to Never Walk Again? Garia's Golf Cart Goes Street Legal

As my colleague Jeremy Korzeniewski reported, Garia manufactures golf carts (or cars) that they claim are the world's most exclusive. These "low speed vehicles" have a laundry list of words gearheads appreciate, although please note the italics:

Formula 1 -"inspired" front suspension;
Porsche Boxter, - built in same factory as;
Ducati gearbox, - drive train manufactured in same factory as;
Jaguar, Aston Martin Volvo - aluminum profile supplier same as.

Anyway, they do look a cut above your average golf cart, and the promise was made that these Low Speed Vehicles would soon be street legal. In August, the manufacturer will be releasing a version that will have safety equipment such as seatbelts, side mirrors, and a hydraulic braking system.

Although these are billed as "ideal" for shorter trips, you can't just take these puppies on any old road. States and municipalities are trying to sort this all out, with places that allow LEVs on public roads mostly restricting them to roads with 35 mph speed limits. (Alaska makes an exception up to 45 mph for "unorganized boroughs", apparently.) But at a price tag of about $17,000 it seems like you'll have to decide whether sitting in even a very nice golf cart is worth it -- or whether you'd rather buy a veritable fleet of super-nice bicycles.

Gallery: Garia's New Street-Legal Golf Cart

Tags: garia, golf cart

Garia Claims to be the World's Most Exclusive Golf Cart

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Sports

Garia, the "World's Most Exclusive Golf Cart" - Click above for high-res image gallery

Normally, we might associate the so-called World's Most Exclusive Golf Cart with Tiger Woods, but he's surely got more important things on his mind at the moment. Plus, it's Cadillac that's supposed to be The Standard of the World, not Buick, the GM-owned automaker that Woods shills for. So then, just who is the Garia meant for?

Honestly, we have no idea. Perhaps well-to-do golfers looking to one-up their frenemies at the local country club. In any case, the Garia is supposedly "built to the highest standards of the automotive industry." Included in its kit, says the manufacturer, are double-wishbone front suspension, a drivetrain built by the company that produces Ducati gearboxes and aluminum stampings sourced from the same company that supplies Aston Martin, Jaguar and Volvo.

Inside the comfy confines of the golf cart is a built-in refrigerator to keep your beverages nice and chilled along with a couple of strategically-located cupholders. Valmet Automotive, which assembles the Porsche Boxster and Cayman along with the upcoming Fisker Karma, manufacturers the Garia. Starting in 2010, the manufacturer promises that the Garia will be street-legal in the States as a Low Speed Vehicle after being formally introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Price? $17,499 or 13,999 Euros, plus tax and delivery.

Gallery: Garia Golf Cart