All good suggestions, guys, but I think I'll leave it as is. It would be a thrill to drive the little thing with that kind of power, though...

FYI - The car weighs 183 pounds with batteries on board. The Briggs Etek motor puts out 3.5 hp continuous at 1728 rpm (24 volts DC), but is capable of 8.5 hp under load. The acceleration of these things is surprising! Not exactly "shocking", maybe, but driving in a group of 12 to 15 cars can be "electrifying".