Go-kart

[2] It is also unclear why the C was later changed to a K. In the film The Ivory-Handled Gun (1935), the crippled father of Buck Jones refers to his wheelchair as a "go cart".

Charles Dickens also used go-cart in Master Humphrey's Clock and other Stories when talking of his travel to Italy.

These are often referred to as soapbox cars in North America, however other regional variations such as billy carts (Australia) are common.

Briggs & Stratton, Tecumseh (company closed in 2008), Kohler, Robin, and Honda are manufacturers of such engines.

Electric go-karts are available, requiring only that the batteries of the karts be plugged into an array of chargers after each run.

Typically there are some restrictions; in the European Union, a go-kart modified for use on the road must be outfitted with headlights (high/low beam), tail lights, a horn, indicators, and an engine not exceeding 20 hp (15 kW).

Outdoor tracks can offer low-speed karts strictly for amusement (dedicated chassis equipped with low powered four-stroke engines or electric motors), or faster, more powerful karts, similar to a racing kart, powered by four-stroke engines up to 15 hp (11 kW) and, more rarely, by 2-stroke engines, but designed to be more robust for rental use.

Indoor karts are usually powered by a four-stroke gasoline engine producing anywhere from 5 to 13 hp (4 to 10 kW), or sometimes by an electric motor.

Trailmaster is the leading off-road go kart brand with a wide range of models and features.