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Technical Briefs: Concepts
Megha

The Megha is planned on the mechanicals and format of the Indian Bajaj 3-wheeler, incorporating alternatives for multi-role utility in an inexpensive base vehicle. The design, by Rajesh Mirajker, was awarded the Grand Prize of the International Car Design Competition at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January. The name means light clouds in the Hindi language, and denotes a feeling of lightness and expression of freedom.

The design covers a very small floor area and seats four in a spartan body. Front passengers sit in a cab-forward layout over the front wheels for maximum space usage. Rear doors are larger and the rear seat is removable. Circular perforations at the rear provide for air-cooling the engine.

The semi-open body uses swing-up door bars which take up no space when open and offer wide access. Spring-loaded flexible canvas and plastic screens are rolled within the bars. Simple sealing and Velcro attachment secure them to the apertures for weather protection. The lower screens can be deployed independently when carrying children, and the bars are much simpler and cheaper than the usual doors.

The surrounding bumper has recessed steps for easy entry. Rear-view mirror/signal combinations serve as clearance markers. The tail lamp unit on the driver's side is detachable for placing outboard as a hazard warning. The body shell is modular and light weight. A rear module can be changed for an alternative flat-bed pickup, and features lockable stowage in the wheel base region.

The body could be made of SMC, SRIM, RIM, hand-layed GRP, or sheet steel. Tooling costs for the latter are reduced by commonizing the rear door aperture panel and also bumper section and body turnunders for left and right sides below the rear door panel. Use of the windscreen as a backlight is not obvious due to different relative locations and the car's unique profile.