HN Theater @HNTheaterMonth

Here’s a YouTube Top Gear review of the three wheeled Renault Robin, https://youtu.be/QQh56geU0X8. It’s quite funny.

⬐ tim333

Bit from Fools and Horses also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W7Mrt7Xl54&feature=youtu.be...

They are, the car is pushing "forward and to the outside" of turns. For some chuckles, here's Top Gear demonstrating the fact (over and over) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQh56geU0X8

As a sibling comment mentions, the two-front, one-back configuration is out there in sport-leisure type vehicles. I think it appeals to people who want motorcycle-ish sportiness but maybe are turned off by the appearance of complete exposure or the possibility of dropping the bike.

Modern three-wheelers I'm aware of, on roughly the "car-ish <----> bike-ish" spectrum are the Campagna T-REX, the Polaris Slingshot, Can-Am Spyder, Piaggio MP3, and the Yamaha Niken. The first two are pretty "sporty car" vehicles, the latter two "complicated motorbikes", and the Spyder maybe a 40-60 mix, IMO.

⬐ LeoPanthera

Worth pointing out that the Top Gear segment was faked, with differently sized wheels and weights in the door to "encourage" the car to roll.

⬐ bdsa

I met a Reliant fanatic/dealer who supplied some of the vehicles for that and he seemed annoyed that they had put big tanks of water in the back for those shots...

It reminds me of a fancier Reliant Robin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQh56geU0X8

⬐ rhinoceraptor

Hopefully it will be a bit more stable when turning if the battery is in the floor, no more rolling like in the Top Gear episode :)

Obligatory Top Gear review: https://youtu.be/QQh56geU0X8

It certainly looks much better (and safer) than another 3-wheeled car that was also a health hazard: the reliant robin [1].

Where is Top Gear when you need them.[2]

If they manage to reach that sub-$7,000 price range, that would make the Elio a very affordable option for commuters. However, the reduced room means that unless you are single and travel light, you would probably need another car for everything else.

An electric version of this would be awesome.

[1]:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliant_Robin

[2]:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQh56geU0X8

Reminds me of the Robin Reliant, here's a video by a popular overseas motoring show that gives you a glimpse of the problems incurred when a high center of gravity is met with 3 wheels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQh56geU0X8

⬐ chrisbennet

1 wheel in back with 2 wheels in front (like the Bucky car has) is actually pretty stable. 2 wheels in the back with one in front (like the Robin) is not.

I looked up the point you are making. The data backs you up, 3 wheelers suffer from inherent instability on turns. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQh56geU0X8 "When the single wheel is in the front , the vehicle is inherently unstable in a braking turn, as the combined tipping forces at the center of gravity from turning and braking can rapidly extend beyond the triangle formed by the contact patches of the wheels. This type, if not tipped, also has a greater tendency to spin out ("swap ends") when handled roughly." What a pity. I was quite excited about the prospects.

⬐ kennywinker

Not to disagree, but I believe many of the problems with three-wheeled vehicles are solved by putting the single wheel at the BACK. e.g. the Peugeot HyMotion3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9ZT8adga1E

⬐ VladRussian2

The main point of HyMotion3 is motorcycle-style whole vehicle body leaning inside the turn - completely different game.

⬐ dragonwriter

> "When the single wheel is in the front, the vehicle is inherently unstable in a braking turn [...]

There is probably a reason that this vehicle has the single wheel in the back. While I think in principle this results in similar instability in accelerating turns as the one-in-front configuration has in braking turns, this is greatly mitigated by the fact that wheeled vehicles generally brake much more quickly than they accelerate.

It's good that other car manufacturers did not throw in the towel when they saw how successful Ford was. Sadly, they mostly copied the cars and production techniques. Although some have dared to innovate:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQh56geU0X8

What is amazing is that an open source project comes anywhere close to keeping up with what is one of the flagship products of one of the largest, most profitable companies the world has ever known.

Top Gear is an entertainment show with cars as the backdrop. Just like Daily show is a comedy show with political clips.

If you want a car review show, take a look at Motor Week.

I think these claims of "faking" are ridiculous when you have episodes where cast members "die" (top gear apocalypse), and characteristics are emphasized for comedic effect (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQh56geU0X8).

This article claims because of Top Gear's antics, the public is being misinformed about the benefits of electric cars. It completely misses the point that 1. it is not a car review show, and 2. there is a major poetical component of the show that celebrates automotive history. They like exciting cars and bash boring uninspired ones (except if its remarkably boring). Their reviews emphasize a car's essence, not necessarily a list of facts.

I think this view is coming from a place that has a vested interest in electric cars, and not anyone who really watches the show. Otherwise they'd be attacking all the claims ("Some Say") made about The Stig.

Agreed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQh56geU0X8