BY the end of the decade new city 'cars' could be tall, narrow and lean according to motorsport and automotive technology specialist, Prodrive. Working with Coventry University's Art and Design course, the company has released concepts of what Naro, its solution to urban congestion, could look like; and one of the first applications could be as a traffic-busting single passenger taxi.

Naro is just 2.5 metres long, the same as a Smart car, but the width of a motorbike and the height of an MPV. Its high centre of gravity means that it must be leaned like a bike to go round corners, but unlike a bike it has four wheels and the occupants sit enclosed within a body with all the comforts of a car.

"Previous urban concept vehicles have been low to the ground to maintain stability, but in traffic this can leave the driver feeling very vulnerable," said Damian Harty, Prodrive chief dynamics engineer and creator of Naro. "Recent taller, leaning designs have used three wheels. However, we believe that if the motoring public is to accept such vehicles that four wheels is the best way forward."

To steer a bike few people realise they momentarily push the handlebars in the opposite direction to the turn to start the bike leaning (if they didn't they would immediately fall off). As Naro is leaned by the driver in exactly the same way, with no power assistance, it has a special steering and leaning mechanism to allow it to corner. This system is more complex with the need to steer two front wheels rather than one.