torque
4 stories filed under torque on Spoot: Spotted Early. The newest of them: “Project ARES puts 250 real electric motorcycles on the road, not just renders”, “The Beach Wagon Finally Gets a Motor, Remote, and a Glow-Up”, and “Gerber's dual-force pocket tool slashes 52% off and still bites hard”. Two hundred and fifty real motorcycles. I have a theory that the beach wagon was invented by someone who never actually took one to the beach. Spoot: Spotted Early New things, caught while they're still new and a little weird. Spoot finds fresh gadgets, clever inventions, crowdfunding campaigns,… The list below is every torque story on Spoot: Spotted Early, newest first.
Project ARES puts 250 real electric motorcycles on the road, not just renders
Two hundred and fifty real motorcycles. Not renders. Not a Kickstarter that fades into vaporware. Project ARES is building them, with sculptural bodywork that looks like it was carved by someone who got tired of looking at the same plastic fairings everyone else uses. The analog-inspired experience is the detail that snags me, because electric bikes often try to be futuristic in the most boring way possible, all screens and abstraction. ARES seems to want the future to feel like something you actually hold onto. It's preparing its first production run now, which puts it ahead of most of the concepts we cover around here. If you liked the way Lutra's new camera sees through itself to find the subject, you'll probably want to watch where ARES goes next.
The Beach Wagon Finally Gets a Motor, Remote, and a Glow-Up
I have a theory that the beach wagon was invented by someone who never actually took one to the beach. On pavement it's a dream, but the second you hit sand, especially soft, hot, soul-crushing sand, you're suddenly dragging a collapsing metal cart while your cooler tries to escape. Someone finally fixed that. This electric beach wagon comes with a motor, a remote control, and underglow, which is the kind of unnecessary-but-wonderful detail that makes me suspect the designers actually used one first. The smart assist means it helps when you're struggling and stays out of the way when you're not. It's a glow-up for a thing we all just accepted was broken. If you like seeing forgotten categories get weird upgrades, you'll probably also enjoy our piece on the BirdVue Beams Feeder.
Gerber's dual-force pocket tool slashes 52% off and still bites hard
Fifty-two percent off a Gerber that still carries high-torque pliers, a center-axis bit driver, and ten-plus other tools? That's not a discount, that's a dare. The dual-force pocket tool doesn't need to shout about its specs because the bite is already in the name. It's the kind of deal that makes you wonder why you ever paid full price for anything with a pivot joint. We're gently skeptical of anything that claims to be a pocket powerhouse, but this one has the torque to back it up. If you're circling back for more EDC bargains, our piece on the M6 Mac Mini's price tag pairs nicely with this kind of practical thinking. Stay spooty.
Bentley's first EV keeps the cabin, calls in musicians to fake the V8
Bentley's first EV keeps the cabin intact, then hands the engine note to a bunch of musicians who've been asked to fake a V8. That's the razor clam here. While every other electric car chases silence or synth whooshes, Bentley is wondering what a luxury car should sound like when there's no combustion to lean on. The answer, apparently, is a carefully composed performance. It's a clever pivot, and it fits the brand's long proportions and tactile cabin like a tailored glove. But here's the gently skeptical part: a recorded growl is still a recording. Does it feel like a Bentley when the pedal goes down? That's the question worth circling back to.