Mobius Motors Mobius II

I've read that in the startup world, there's a term called "MVP", or "Minimum Viable Product". The idea is simple: what product has the highest return on investment, versus the risk? Taking it one step farther, what is the simplest (and least expensive) thing you can make in order to rapidly gain customers and/or awareness?

A proof of concept, if you will. Could Kenya produce its own cars?

In North America, many bemoan the safety features, electronic nannies, and excessive weight of our vehicles. But would you really go back in time, to where modern mechanicals were blended into a tubular steel frame and the most simple interior imaginable? 

Designed and built in Kenya, the Mobius Motors Mobius II is as simple as it gets. No air conditioning, no side windows…in a sense, it's a Caterham Seven mixed with a Willys MB. 

Have you been complaining in internet comments that cars are too complex? That you longed for a simple, durable, easy-to-fix powertrain?

Could you drive something so endearingly simple — as a former Citroën 2CV owner, I say “hell yeah”. 

First, it weighs 1,275 kg (2,810 lbs), has space for driver, passenger, and six (!) rear passengers. It has a load capacity of 625 kg (1,388 lbs)—more than many so-called full-sized trucks. Powering the whole affair? A simple, 1,598-cc 4-cylinder engine and 86 horsepower. Five-speed manual transmission…top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph). Decent!

When I first wrote about Mobius in 2015, I ended the article with this: 

I wish the firm success simply because most people on the continent have to deal with are vehicles originally designed for the UK, Europe, Asia, or America—not ones designed to stand up to day-to-day life in Africa. And the price for all of this? About $9,600 US–about what you'd pay for a 2007 Toyota Auris in Nairobi.

Turns out, Mobius made 50 proof-of-concept vehicles of that first Mobius II generation.