StarDestroyer.Net BBS

There can be only one response:

Top Gear

weemadando wrote:There can be only one response:

Top Gear

Dear bloody gods!


Awesome! If only NASA took pointers from them...

What was the deal with three wheeled cars?

I can't imagine why they would be made in the first place.

Gandalf wrote:What was the deal with three wheeled cars?

I can't imagine why they would be made in the first place.

They're simpler and cheaper to make. They also tend to have less rolling resistance, which is relevant for some ultra-long-range vehicles, but the main selling point of the Reliant was that it was very cheap.

50 miles-per-gallon sounds nice, but I MUST know how well I'd be protected in the event of an accident before I'd think of buying one of those things. (Saving an extra 20 miles' worth in gas is pointless if you and your car are transformed into burning wrecks when some idiot makes a turn without checking to see if his car might crash into yours.)

My prime worry would be the wear and tear on the front wheel and the suspension. Instead of 2 wheels taking the forward weight, now there's only 1! So unless there's some serious rejuggling of the weight, it's going to last even less than a conventional car.

Don't forget looking forward to medical personnel picking fiberglass shards out of your ass, in emergency room comfort...

I think this example speaks volumes about the safety of this vehicle.

On the bright side, cleanup is a snap for the emergency crew.

Personally, I think NASCAR style drafting of off semi-trucks is safer than driving that 3-wheeled deathtrap. Probably get you around the same highway mileage too.

There's a reason why Mr. Bean had a grudge against 'em, hah.

Probably an added reason why fiberglass shouldn't be used on a vehicle or anything that has anything flameable on board.

aerius wrote:Personally, I think NASCAR style drafting of off semi-trucks is safer than driving that 3-wheeled deathtrap. Probably get you around the same highway mileage too.

Please, for the love of Pete, don't tailgate a semi! Semi drivers CAN'T SEE YOU if you can't see their mirrors! I'd hate to pick someone off my back end, and believe me, dead or not, I'd make sure their insurance covered the scratched paint.

Please, for the love of Pete, don't tailgate a semi! Semi drivers CAN'T SEE YOU if you can't see their mirrors! I'd hate to pick someone off my back end, and believe me, dead or not, I'd make sure their insurance covered the scratched paint.

Er, I think he was just making a point about how unsafe three-wheeled cars are, rather than seriously suggesting tailgating semis is a good idea.

Starglider wrote:

Gandalf wrote:What was the deal with three wheeled cars?

I can't imagine why they would be made in the first place.

They're simpler and cheaper to make. They also tend to have less rolling resistance, which is relevant for some ultra-long-range vehicles, but the main selling point of the Reliant was that it was very cheap.

Unless I'm mistaken, low-powered three-wheeled vehicles can be registered as bikes rather than cars, which brings down the road tax significantly, which is also why you see certain three-wheeled cars in a (technically better but more expensive) four-wheel variant.