Vanderhall autocycle gets 194hp and actual doors
Front-driven three-wheeler gets a GM-sourced four-pot and suicide doors
If, say, you were a prospective customer of autocycle maker Vanderhall that has been begging for something more practical, the Utah company now has you covered – quite literally – with this new offering. Fans of the very (very) niche three-wheeler segment may recognise the new Carmel’s form from the 2016 Venice, but new for 2019 is a GM-supplied four-pot engine, actual doors and (presumably to keep the Midwest US sun off its customer’s heads) a removable roof. Morgan 3 Wheeler, eat your V-twin heart out.
Despite a sizeable bump in power over its Vanderhall siblings, the Carmel’s engine sends drive to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox, meaning it’ll come with none of the hilariously accessible throttle oversteer Morgan’s single-wheel-drive 3 Wheeler offers. But in the Vanderhall’s defence, we suspect the boost from that 1.5-litre engine coupled to a pair of boots rather than one ought to give it very strong performance.
Anyway, the likely main draw to the Carmel will be its design, which is part-retro, part-modern, both outside and in. The suicide door-accessible cabin has a simple six-dial instrument cluster and glovebox as the only dashboard features, with a wood-rimmed steering wheel, leather trim and aluminium footrests adding to the theme. Only a pair of steering wheel mounted paddles remind of the juxtaposing ingredients behind the old school.
Sold? To get the top-spec GT variant (which comes with that lid), you’ll need to fork out $43,950 (about £36k), but there’s also a $35k (£28.6k) Blackjack, which comes in option-light form as a part-blank canvas for your own modifications. Not that any are likely to make it to Blighty, with the US autocycle labelled by Vanderhall as an all-American machine made with US parts only. Something tells us exports to the UK aren’t high on the agenda - although you could always do it yourself. Or you could make do with one of these…
Morgan get around it by putting a skinny crossply rear tyre on it, which limits grip enough to prevent this issue. It also limits acceleration and cornering grip, hence a well designed fwd three wheeler will run rings around a rwd three wheeler.
Your opinions on the auto box I agree with...
It is imperative for the stability of a 3 whether to have as much weight as far forward as possible. FWD does this neatly.
I quite like the idea of this. My pockets aren't deep enough though.
Morgan get around it by putting a skinny crossply rear tyre on it, which limits grip enough to prevent this issue. It also limits acceleration and cornering grip, hence a well designed fwd three wheeler will run rings around a rwd three wheeler.
Your opinions on the auto box I agree with...
Does the slingshot have TC and ABS to reign in that rear wheel?
What usually happens is the rear wheel loses grip mid bend and the rear of the car laterally slides whilst the wheel over rotates. The driver corrects the steering and feathers the throttle, just as the steering is corrected the other way the wheel skips and finds grip as power is reapplied, throwing the mass over the roll centre in the opposite direction to motion very rapidly, causing the whole vehicle to violently flip.
This is the slingshot compared to a scorpion iii
Does the slingshot have TC and ABS to reign in that rear wheel?
What usually happens is the rear wheel loses grip mid bend and the rear of the car laterally slides whilst the wheel over rotates. The driver corrects the steering and feathers the throttle, just as the steering is corrected the other way the wheel skips and finds grip as power is reapplied, throwing the mass over the roll centre in the opposite direction to motion very rapidly, causing the whole vehicle to violently flip.]
Grinnall scorpion - the only one remotely close that you can buy
FRS - you can buy and is fwd - ugly though, and tandem seating. They're more hill climb cars really.
JZR - not available
Buckland B3 - not available
Blackjack Avion - not available
Lomax - not available
Blackjack Zero - not available
Razor - not available
Triking - totally different, but they are available to buy. You'll need the thick end of £25k though for a factory build.
Pembleton - same story as triking (I'm building one)
DRK - not available
BRA - not available (although I think SpitfireArt are still going - again, you'll need circa £20k)
Exo sports cars tR1ke - available, although is a naked car with an R1 bolted to the back, totally different.
Rayvolution - not available, single seat though and more like the tR1ke.
I'd love to know of any more. The British Kit car industry really isn't what it once was!
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff