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The T-Rex, built by Campagna Corporation in Canada, is technically classified as a motorcycle. This low-slung, teardrop-shaped vehicle doesn’t look a lot like a motorcycle with its three tires, two seats, and steering wheel, but there isn’t quite enough there to classify it as a car, either. It is propelled by a ZZR 1200 Kawasaki motorcycle engine, and it is built with high speeds and high stability in mind.
Perhaps the most apt metaphor would be to call it a high-powered, pavement-friendly snowmobile. But that doesn’t really describe it either. It’s a unique species of hybrid automobile, which appears to have been sired by a sports car with a penchant for sexy Japanese bullet bikes. But regardless of its questionable parentage, it’s a peppy little bastard.
It offers only 155 horsepower, which doesn’t sound like a lot for a performance vehicle, but remember that this thing is tiny. It weighs in at only 900 pounds dry, which means that filling the gas tank and seating two average men increases the overall vehicle weight by almost 50%. Power is delivered to the extra-wide rear tire through a six-speed transmission, pushing the car from zero to sixty miles per hour in about four seconds. The transmission is a sequential-type straight out of a motorcycle, which means that the driver steps through the six gears with simple shift-up and shift-down options.
The vehicle has an open-air design, enclosing the driver in little more than a tubular steel roll-cage and some fiberglass plastic-sandwich panels. It provides the driver and passenger with three-point retractable seatbelts which will ensure that the passengers aren’t separated from their seats in the event of an accident, though where the seats may end up after a high-speed impact is anyone’s guess.
Safety is probably the biggest concern with this vehicle. Although videos of the slalom show that the T-Rex’s wide front stance and fat rear tire keep a firm grasp on the asphalt at high speeds— pulling up to 1.9 Gs of lateral acceleration without losing grip— it lacks anti-lock brakes, which is a bit risky for something so light and fast. And I wasn’t able to find any data on the performance of the tubular frame in impact situations, but since it lacks doors and has minimal hardware, an impact could be very nasty indeed.
But one could argue that the T-Rex is a motorcycle at heart, sharing many of the benefits (fun!) and drawbacks (danger!) of that type of transport. The seatbelts and rollcage are certainly more safe than a motorbike, and the vehicle is much more visible than its two-wheeled cousins. In many ways, it really is a compromise between performance motorcycling and automobiling.
Daniel Campagna, the designer of the T-Rex of founder of the company, is a veteran in the high-performance automobile industry. He has participated in Formula Ford championships, he’s built vehicles for off-road racing, he created the twin-track snowmobile, and he’s worked as a mechanic for a Formula One racer. So far, he has devoted more than eight years to developing the T-Rex concept, personally building the first vehicles by hand, and producing the first prototype in 1994.
A new T-Rex can be had for about $44,000, and according to the manufacturer, it’s street-legal in all 50 U.S. states. So if you have several grand burning a hole in your pocket, and you fancy a go-kart which can go from naught to sixty in four seconds and reach speeds of 140 miles per hour, this may be just the ticket.
More info:
T-Rex homepage
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I think Batman Begins drew on this T-Rex design. No, I did not see the movie, T.V. just trailers.
This looks very cool, but I can’t help but think of a strikingly similar design by Peugeot featured in Popular Science here: http://tinyurl.com/bbfz6
The Peugeot car, however, doesn’t look like it will ever be available to the general public.
If I only had an extra $44,000 floating around. Being from Canada I have heard of this vehicle before but haven’t seen one on the roads. On second thought it would probably cost me $44,000 or more in speeding tickets.
Why have this when you can get a 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 10-R and Save about $34,000… the 10-R has 160+ HP (properly tuned) and only weighs in at around 400lbs wet, And has a 0-60mph as fast as you can hold on (Fastest I think is around 3 seconds)
I know they say it is not as safe, but I can attest to sportbikes being pretty robust in certain situations… and there is also no deathtrap cage around you so you have better visibility, and if you ride responsibly and follow all traffic laws you will be clearly seen by all attentive motorists (Some can, and do miss seeing a city bus…)
I always have my lights on when I ride, and for pitys sake don’t wear dark clothing at night!!!
I know what you mean about sportbikes being a thrill ride, but you have to drive one of these things to truly understand them. I am with Aquasun Motorsports and we are one of the few US dealers for the T-Rex and I can tell you it is just sick. Even with the huge rear contact patch, you can break the rear loose at will in the first three gears. It is definatley fast, but by far the best thing about the T-Rex is the handling. It’s like nothing else. If anyone makes it to Daytona for Bike Week, Daytona 500, or Rolex 24, look for us at the Speedway.
I’m thinking you just might have a heck of a time getting insurance for this…
JustAnotherName, watch the film. No, it didn’t.
there have been thousands od 3 wheeled designs created in the last 100 years (yes 100 years).
the t-rex was just one of the few to make it.
there is also another called the ….carver. now that shoud get a damninteresting thing. 2 wheels in the back with the motor, then the passengers bay (2 people in front of each other like a bike)and the front wheel “lean” into the turns. just like a motor cycle. and all the leaning is controlled by an onboard comuter.
the thing is sexy!
Why buy this ugly thing when you can get an Ariel Atom for around the same price but with substantially better performance?
This is a real babe-mobile. I’ll bet chicks would be wanting to get all up in it and junk. Oh wait, they wouldn’t fit. Maybe you could race it on go-kart circuits or something.
I’ve seen one. Pretty cool looking. Wouldn’t want to own one. Looks like a tricycle in reverse and on steroids. Can you say “Road Kill Cafe?”
I’ve seen a similar vehicle with steering more similar to a motorcycle than a car. The layout was basically the same as above – two wheels in the front with a drive wheel in the back – but the entire vehicle body and wheels banked into the turns, just like a motorcycle. Front wheels too.
I don’t know why you would need something like that, but for the centered feeling you would maintain while turning. It would also allow you to have a higher normal center of gravity without risking a rollover, also improving visibility.
I think in the not-too-distant future, the flipped trike design will be the way to go. This one might be a little extreme though.
I’m going to be one of their target custoemrs…I will tell you what’s so appealing about this vehicle:
1. It’s as fast as a motorbike
2. It’s a lot safer (cannot wipe out and get road rash, cannot roll it, if you get hit by another car you have a roll cage, so it just hits you, you don’t die, etc.)
3. It’s insured as a motorbike (i.e. really cheap)
4. open air design makes it feel like a motorbike
5. It’s much more stable than 2 wheels on the back and one on the front (i.e. nearly impossible to roll it, unless you are going 60km/s around a 90 degree turn with your foot on the gas and you hit the ditch!)
As interesting as this is, have you seen the concept Noah, Embrio, or Uno-cycle?
The Noah,
http://www.coroflot.com/public/individual_file.asp?individual_id=188999&portfolio_id=1227977&sort_by=1&c=1&
This motorcycle is unique in that it looks like a unicycle, except that it does sport two tires. They are just in tandem (side-by-side). What it is missing is the independent steering mechanism; twist throttle, and lever/foot brake pedal. The Noah is designed to turn by the rider leaning to either side, accelerate by leaning forward, or slow/brake by leaning back. That’s right, no controls. The tandem tires are designed to act as stabilizers so that they shift up and down against one another giving more control than conventional single tires.
Next there is the Embrio,
http://www.diseno-art.com/encyclopedia/strange_vehicles/bombadier_embrio.html
This thought monkey is powered by fuel cell tech. No nasty hydrocarbons or pocketbook hurting gas prices for this puppy. Estimated with a top speed of 70 mph, it uses gyroscopes for balance. The additional itty-bitty front wheelie is for slow crusin’ or stopping only. At higher speeds it will just spin-inna-wind.
As interesting as those are, have you seen the UnoCycle?
http://www.the-uno-tomorrows-transportation.com/electric-bike-design/design.php
http://motorcyclemojo.com/articles/the-uno/
Unlike the brainchildren above that only exist in the creator’s minds and virtual renderings, this sucker exists in true 3-D, hardcore material that you can ride. At least the prototypes do. Still under development, it only has a top speed of 15 mph give or take. The designer is hoping for 40 mph but only time will tell. He hopes to have these babies on the market at $6,000.00 Canadian.
Like the Noah, the Unocycle uses bio-tech, otherwise lean to turn, accelerate, and stop. No confusing controls to master, just put the ol’ bod’ in the direction you wish to move.
Also a plus is that the main power plant requires only electron movement through a coil inducing magnetic repulsion thus turning a shaft. In layman terms, it is battery powered. You don’t need to plug this baby into a gas pump, just the nearest electrical socket to fuel ‘er up.
As cool as this concept vehicle is, the website really needs some attention.
The Don.