Construction
It is an integral bus (as opposed to a separate chassis and body) built in a modular design, with steel frame and GRP panels. The Solo is powered by a Mercedes-Benz OM904LA engine, which produces 122 bhp (91 kW) or 147 bhp (110 kW) according to specification, and it is typically mated to an Allison 2000 fully automatic gearbox. Later, options of Cummins ISBe 6-cylinder 185 bhp (138 kW) and MAN engine became available. There was also the option of a 4-speed Allison AT545 gearbox. In 2005 a hybrid Solo was constructed, using a small diesel unit and an Eneco (now known as Traction Technology) battery propulsion unit.
The Optare Solo is available in various lengths, 7.8 m, 8.5 m, 9.2 m, and 9.9 m, all at 2.5 m width. The chassis type code of the Solo carried the length - M780 corresponds to 7.8 m, M850 to 8.5 m, and so forth. Cummins-powered Solos required extra rear bodywork to accommodate the larger engine, which increased the length of the bus by 0.3 m. However, this is not reflected in the chassis code, so a Cummins-powered M990 Solo is in fact 10.2 m in length.
Along with the launch of the 9.9 m model, the Solo was also first offered with LED-type rear lights, as opposed to the standard rectangular clusters.
Seating capacities ranged from 25 for an M780, 29 for an M850, 33 for M920 and 37 for an M990.
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