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Cassis Eden: Meet the modern Mehari with an EV twist
Jonny takes to sunny Southern France to sample a Citroen 2CV-based buggy with a 21st century powerplant. But does he fall for the Eden’s throwback charm?
For our younger viewers, today’s odd-looking contraption probably won’t ring any bells or set pulses racing – after all, to the uninitiated the Eden looks like the marriage between a golf buggy and an allotment shed.
However, for those who can cast their mind back to Wham’s 1983 hit, Hotel Tropicana, this eccentric machine should muster more than a few pangs of nostalgia. Gaining fame as the wheels of choice in that indelible pop music video, the original Mehari was a fun and frivolous, wind-in-your-hair alternative to the iconic 2CV. And now, after a 35-year hiatus, it’s back and raring to cruise around sun-soaked locations in laid-back style.
So it’s some sort of restomod conversion, right? Wrong. As Jonny explains, despite looking identical to the original Mehari the Eden is crafted under licence using new parts and original Citroen tooling. But, as he takes it out for a spin on rolling French roads, Jonny quickly discovers not everything is as it once was…
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Where originally it was powered by the 2CV’s 600cc 2-cylinder petrol engine, the new-age Mehari sports a 15-kw air-cooled brushless motor that bolts up to the original gearbox. Don’t think that means explosive, Tesla-esque acceleration, though: to comply with French law the Eden’s performance has been governed and its top speed limited to just 50 mph.
It's no track car, but that doesn’t stop Jonny from reveling in the back-to-basics thrill of driving around with no windows or doors. And, niftily, the 2CV’s pillowy ride has been retained thanks to an amazingly articulate torsion beam suspension. This, combined with the wood-rimmed wheel and buffeting wind makes Jonny exclaim “it feels more like you’re skippering a small motorboat, than driving a car!”
But what happens when you reach a hill? And how far can the reimagined Mehari travel before you need to plug it in? All this, and more, in the full Late Brake Show review.