3-wheelers are an excellent weekend toy for those too lazy or old to ride a motorcycle but who want that raw feeling of being exposed to the elements. The Polaris Slingshot and Campagna T-Rex are especially popular with celebrities, but you can look like a giant... arrogant person from behind the wheel of one. That's why we want to share an alternative, the Vanderhall Venice.
If you've never heard of them, that's perfectly understandable. The company was founded in 2010 and the first model flew right under the radar back in 2016. The Venice appeared two years ago in America. But what exactly is this thing?
Technically, it's a 3-wheeled motorcycle. But because it comes with seatbelts, the Venice may or may not be driven without a helmet. Check your local regulations before buying one. The Morgan 3-Wheeler has a V2 motorcycle engine at the front, and that's fine, but this is more like a car.
Under the hood, which is held down with screws, you will find a GM 1.4-liter turbo arranged horizontally, which is quite unusual for this type of car. It's putting out about 180 horsepower, enough to get you from 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds, they say. The power goes to the front via an automatic gearbox, which probably means you're less likely to kill yourself.
The 3-wheeler is about as long as a Fiat 500 and weighs more than your usual fat cruiser bike, 0.6 tons. We like how the dashboard feels like it was made in the early 60s. It's basically a piece of plywood with leather on top and a bunch of dials and switches screwed in. The wood steering wheel looks particularly manly too.
If you want to know more, you're probably best off watching Jay Leno's review. We just want to leave you with what's probably the only cherry red Vanderhall Venice riding around on Vossen Forged M-X2 wheels. They're gold and had to be custom-made since this isn't exactly a normal-sized car.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News