The Geo Metro Convertible is one of the silliest cars ever sold in America. The Metro hatchback was already a misfit on American roads, with its microscopic 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine, 1,600-pound curb weight, and $7,000-ish starting price. It was a General Motors rebadge of a Suzuki Swift, and it almost immediately became the butt of every automotive joke. There was no logical reason, then, for any engineer to lop off its roof and turn it into a convertible, but that didn't stop it from happening, and honestly I'm grateful GM sold them anyway. I doubt GM ever imagined that a YouTuber would end up driving one from New York to Los Angeles 34 years after it was built, but that's just what Mitchell Kohrmann did in his latest video .
๐ The Core Development
When new, the Geo Metro convertible was fabled to have 55 horsepower and 58 pound-feet of torque, but Kohrmann was smart enough to dyno test his remarkably clean 1992 Metro convertible before setting off on his cross-continental journey. Before that, though, he gave it a tune-up and fixed the air conditioning โ or at least he thought he did... After a 50-second pull, the dyno showed the Metro made 43 horsepower and 53 lb-ft of torque. That's more than enough to complete a 2,838-mile road trip that includes a 10,000-foot climb, right?
๐ Background & Sector Context
I had never seen any of Kohrmann's videos before watching this one, but looking at his other uploads, he's no stranger to long drives, including a 10,050-mile drive to the Arctic Ocean in a Touareg V10 diesel , and a 6,500-mile drive in a V10 Audi S8. Those are both leather-lined luxury cruisers, though, and going from that to a vinyl-topped three-cylinder economy car must feel like quite the downgrade. With just 43 horsepower, Kohrmann ends up keeping the little Metro's gas pedal in contact with the floor a lot more than I expected.
๐ Industry & Real-World Impact
The calamities begin before he even starts his journey, since he realized the Geo's tires may have looked fine at first, but they were utterly ancient, so he had to source some 155/80R13 tires at the last minute. Fortunately he finds some that will fit, and sets off on the drive. Predictably, the drive into and out of Manhattan involves navigating excruciating traffic jams, but once he gets out away from New York, he starts covering more ground.
Benchmark Telemetry & EV Fuel Savings
Put top supercars and EVs to the test in The Pit Stop Lab โ launch head-to-head 1/4-mile drag strip battles & compute EPA electric fuel cost savings.
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๐ฎ Strategic Outlook & What Lies Ahead
This video is about 1.5 hours long, and includes lots of POV shots as well as breakdown and repair content and tons of beautiful scenery. Kohrmann initially intended to attempt to beat some sub-1.0-liter engine Cannonball Run record of 48 hours, 9 minutes and 53 seconds that was set in 1964 by a Sunbeam Imp, but he gives up on that after a series of setbacks. Regardless, he still completes the journey in 49 hours, 11 minutes and 18 seconds, after a harrowing journey filled with twists, turns, breakdowns, and hellish traffic jams. I think it's worth a watch. Cheers to you, Mitchell, for following through on what looks like an utterly miserable journey, but a really cool video.
