A group of students and teachers at Okayama Sanyo High School in Japan has created the world's lowest roadworthy car, and the vehicle has now been sanctioned by the Guinness Book of World Records. The car measures less than 18 inches from the ground to its highest point.
The car, known as the Mirai, was originally created in November 2010 and features a motor from a Japanese Q-Car and a switching console from a motorbike. Several other elements, such as the body, suspension, lights and steering system, were created at the high school. Students have been performing vehicle maintenance on the car for years in order to get it in top driving condition. However the Mirai never hits the road without a front and rear guard of normal-sized vehicles.
"It can be frightening to drive Mirai on a big street, especially when the speed goes over 40km/h because the road is very close to the driver's eye point," Harada Kazunari, principal at the school, told The Wall Street Journal. "Also, you can feel afraid that you will be run over by other cars."
The Mirai, which means "future," runs on six batteries and has the ability to perform many of the same functions as standard-sized cars.