--- title: "Driving a 43-HP Geo Metro From NY to LA Takes a While. It’s Worth It" date: "2026-11-01" modified: "2026-11-01" authors: - name: "Stephen Edelstein" job_title: "Weekend Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/stephen-edelstein.md" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/driving-a-43-hp-geo-metro-from-ny-to-la-takes-a-while-its-worth-it" categories: - "Culture" - "News" tags: - "Geo Metro" --- # Driving a 43-HP Geo Metro From NY to LA Takes a While. It’s Worth It ![1992 Geo Metro convertible at the Red Ball Garage]() *\Mitchell Kohrmann via YouTube\* What's your idea of the perfect car for a [cross-country road trip]()? Is it a comfortable cruiser that will make all those miles seem less arduous, or is to something fast that will make things more exciting, particularly in the middle of the country where speed limits are often higher? Whatever your priorities, I'm guessing a 1992 Geo Metro convertible isn't what immediately comes to mind. [Mitchell Kohrmann]() was fascinated by the [Cannonball]() record runs between New York City and Los Angeles, but decided to make things more interesting by choosing the slowest possible car. This [first-generation Metro]() is powered by a 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine that, because this is an LSi model, made 55 horsepower from the factory (there was also an XFi model that was detuned in the name of fuel economy). Before setting off, Kohrmann put the Metro on a dyno and found that it was actually making 43 hp at the wheels, which he calculated was more like 26 hp at the altitudes he'd reach while crossing the Rocky Mountains. ![A 1991 Geo Metro convertible in a desert under ominous skies]() *Mitchell Kohrmann via YouTube* Why attempt the Cannonball in a car that, as Kohrmann admits in the video, can barely get up hills? The goal was to do an "everyman's Cannonball," without the resources of wealthy would-be record breakers. Instead of a modified car with extra fuel tanks to stretch the time between stops, and spotters looking out for the police, this was just one guy and a simple, easy-to-fix car. [The Metro]() is legendary for its frugality. A rebadged Suzuki Cultus, it was underpowered even for its small size, but delivered up to 50 mpg (based on period testing standards) in come configurations. It was also one of the cheapest new cars available at the time, selling for just under $10,000 when new. First-generation models like the one used for this epic road trip were sold from model years 1989-1994. A follow-up version arrived for 1995 and lasted until 2001, adopting [Chevrolet]() branding in 1998 as [General Motors]() wound down Geo, which existed only to sell rebadged Japanese cars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0whB7BW2ZD8 The tradeoff was safety. Driving something this small on a highway without the plethora of airbags and meticulously simulated crash structures of new cars is not for the faint of heart, which makes Kohrmann a true automotive hero for attempting it. And he did it the correct way, starting at the Red Ball Garage in the heart of Manhattan and driving to the Portofino Inn, just feet from the Pacific Ocean, as is traditional. He covered 2,838 miles in 49 hours, 11 minutes, and 18 seconds from start to finish. Kohrmann's Metro marathon is a great counterpoint to the typical Cannonball runs, and not just because it was done on the cheap. The speeds required to set a new cross-country record make the original goal of the Cannonball impossible to safely achieve. This is an example of how a Cannonball run can still be worth doing, without putting oneself and innocent bystanders at risk. ## Author Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he's not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read. ### Author social links [Twitter]() ## More - [Buy the Nicest 1991 Geo Metro Left for Its Original MSRP of $9,995]() - [Facebook Marketplace Has This Rear-Engined V8 Geo Metro for You]() - [Pour One out for This Geo Metro That Was Crushed by a Giant Pumpkin]() - [This Custom 1991 Geo Metro for Sale on eBay Might Be the World’s Smallest RV]() - [Turning Your Three-Cylinder Geo Metro Into a Dually Pickup Truck Takes Guts]() - [Behold a 9.8-Second Geo Tracker With a Dirty Little Secret: A 6.0-Liter Turbo LS V8]() - [A 400-Mile 2000 Chevy Metro Is Worth $18,200, Apparently]() - [Alex Roy Shatters Electric and Autonomous Cannonball Run Records in a Tesla]()