The Cougair X3

Of interest to sports car enthusiasts was the recent announcement of the Cougair X3. The model incorporates all the features that sports car buyers have come to expect, plus a number of rather outstandinginnovations. The X3 is beginning to attract discriminating buyers in increasing numbers throughout the country.

One of the more dramatic departures from standard automotive practices is Cougair’s elimination of the springs and shock absorbers that form the backbone of the conventional suspension system. To achieve a lower center of gravity and eliminate extra weight, the X3’s wheels are, in effect, bolted directly to the frame. The effect of this change is rather startling to the driver accustomed to conventional suspension: the sponginess of ordinary springs and shock absorbers is replaced with a new firmness; “road feel” has been tremendously increased.

Although high horsepower is standard equipment on most new cars, the X3 has more than double the power expected in a car of this class. The increase has been brought about by the use of fuel injection — with a difference. Only part of the gasoline is actually burned; the remainder is expelled at high speed from the jet-type exhaust, giving the car added thrust. Such a system does not, of course, result in maximum gasoline economy, but all will agree this is a small point when compared with the real he-man performance of the X3 — performance further increased by the use of an extra 1 3/4 inch gas line that cuts in when the accelerator is pressed to the floor. At any rate, the expulsion of raw gasoline from the exhaust as a device for obtaining forward motion of a vehicle is certainly something new in the annals of transportation, and poses many exciting possibilities.

A greatly reduced car height cuts wind resistance to the bone and gives the X3 startlingly low, sleek lines. The reduction in height naturally cuts somewhat sharply into the intorior space; in fact the driver must sit almost bent double. As a result, some drivers have found it easier to look between their legs, rather than over their shoulders, when backing the X3. Actually, it has been shown that the human body can better withstand the shocks of high acceleration and sudden stops in this position, so the “tight” interior space has much to commend it. Those who might complain of the cramped quarters should be reminded that the X3’s reduced height adds 3.2 miles per hour (sea level) to the car’s top speed.

Although the new suspension, the injection-expulsion engine, and the low profile constitute the major innovations of the X3, the car incorporates many minor changes and additions that would seem to enhance its value. Space permits the mention of only one — one that incidentally fills a much-felt need. In addition to the usual engine tachometer, the X3 provides accessory tachometers, which tell at a glance the revolutions per minute of the generator, the water pump, the distributor rotor, and the windshield wiper motor. All in all, the Cougair X3 looks like the surprise car of the year.