Sinclair C5 "a delightful toy" "The Daily Telegraph" described it as "a cleverly-designed 'fun' machine that can hardly be regarded as serious, everyday all-weather transport", while "The Engineer" viewed it as "a smashing big boy's toy, tough enough to take teenage thrashing and possibly a serious vehicle for fit adults to nip out in for the Sunday papers". On the plus side, the C5's handling characteristics were praised by reviewers. "The Guardian" called it "very easy to master once you have become familiar with the under-thigh handlebar steering and the semi-recumbent driving position with feet on bicycle-type pedals." The "Daily Mirror" described
Sinclair C5 However, it imposed a number of restrictions that limited the performance of any vehicle that would qualify under the new standards. The maximum legal speed of the vehicle would be limited to only ; it could not weigh any more than , including the battery; and its motor could not be rated at any more than 250 watts. Despite these limitations, the vehicle was seen as only the first step in a series of increasingly ambitious electrical cars. Sinclair intended it to prove the viability of electric personal transport; the hope was that, just as Sinclair had found with home