It's not a prototype, its a finished product.
I... don't think you really understand what it is.
It was built for a race. It
won the race. Calling this a prototype is like calling the the first lunar lander to arrive on the moon a prototype. (in other words, it is just wrong) This is a fully functional finished product, and I really don't understand what you're trying to say here.
However, it currently doesn't fit the bill for an automobile on the road today.
Since they were setting out to build a race vehicle, not a roadcar, I don't see why this would be surprising.
it would be totally obliterated in any traffic accident
Everything has trade offs. I'd much prefer roads full of road-designed variants of these things moving around at 35mph (with no fuel costs!) rather than the hunks of metal we scream around in now.
cannot handle snow
There are plenty of vehicles on the roads that can't handle snow. People just don't drive them in the snow.
and only seats one
This actually always pissed me off a bit, that I can't get cars that only seat one. I would
love a vehicle that only seated one (I actually own one right now), but why should I have to pay all that extra money for space I'm not going to use?
But I still don't understand what you're point is here, to be honest, and if its simply "we can do more research", well... uh, ok. I don't see how that relates to you playing down what these people accomplished? I don't understand how
This is supposed to be a car.... You know what, no, just no.
is a valid response to their achievement. First, its not even trying to be a car. Second, it's likely not the best we can do, just the best thats been bothered because its not a particularly lucrative field since the vast bulk of the populace (like yourself) are unwilling to accept the trade-offs it would entail. Finally... why no? Seriously?