If it ever comes to the point where we can buy one, the T.25 City Car could change transportation in the same kind of way that the Tata Nano does. The T.25 City Car is a tiny, 74 MPG, 3-passenger, $10,000-ish car that you can see in this video (jump forward to 1:05 if you want to skip the intro):

The obvious first question that many people would ask about a car like this is, “Can it be safe?” It is possible to engineer safety into a small package by designing the car around a “safety cell”. Formula 1 cars use this approach to protect the driver during a crash, like this spectacular crash over the weekend from which the driver walked away:

The Smart car is tiny, but it has a safety cell that works surprisingly well, as demonstrated here:

The T.25 is also designed around a safety cell because its designer, Gordon Murray, has designed Formula One cars.

Quick facts about the T.25:
- Will fit almost perfectly on a 4′x8′ sheet of plywood (it is 1.5 inches shorter and 3.1 inches wider)
- Weighs 550 kilograms (1,212 pounds)
- 74 miles per gallon
- Three cylinder, 660cc engine, 51 horepower.
- 0-60 in about 16 seconds.
- iStream manufacturing process
- Steel tubes used for the safety cage
- Replaceable body panels attach to the frame
- Carbon fiber floor.
- Proposed price point: Around $10,000
- Possible shipping date: 2012

See also:
- Gordon Murray Design
- Murray T25 – first official pics
- 74-MPG City Car Makes a Smart Look Big