20 Cars with Wacky Wheel Configurations

2. Covini C6W

The wild-looking Covini C6W is an Italian super sports car that features twin front axles and a rear-mounted V8 engine. The four front wheels are for turning and braking while the rear wheels are powered by the engine. Back in the mid-70s, a group of young Italian engineers started this ambitious Covini C6W project.

However, due to numerous technical difficulties and a lack of financing, they shelved the project until the 1980s and again until the late 1990s when the first prototype started to take shape. One reason for the long delay was because of its low-profile tires, which were not available in those days. But as soon as tire technology became sophisticated enough, the Covini was back on track.

Audi produces this unique car, which includes a 4.2-liter V8 engine with 440 HP. Although they haven’t revealed the exact performance figures, they should be like other current supercars. The Covini is fast due to its lightweight at only 2,645 lbs. This is due to its space frame chassis and carbon fiber body.

They presented the production version in 2004. However, the car is still in production, so it is unclear how many they made. If you are interested in this strange and unique six-wheel supercar, you should know the base price is approximately $400,000.

3. Mazda T-1100/1500/2000

The Japanese car industry started with extremely small models called Kei Cars. So, after the war, those were the only cars they produced and sold in Japan. The main goal was to build cars as affordably as possible. They also wanted to introduce a utilitarian vehicle to fulfill many duties.

But sometimes, Kei Cars featured interesting technical solutions or unusual wheel configurations. And the Mazda T-Series truck is a perfect example of that. They introduced it in 1959, as a three-wheeled truck. It came with a choice of two engines, both four cylinders. The smaller engine was a 1.1-liter with 46 HP and the bigger one was a 1.5-liter with 60 HP. Despite the fact that many Japanese car companies produced similar vehicles, the Mazda T-Series had a spacious cabin for three passengers.

It had a decent power and load capacity, making this vehicle a useful, capable workhorse in the post-war Japanese economy. Most competitors were a little more than three-wheel motorcycles while the Mazda was a proper truck with a single front wheel. In 1962, Mazda introduced the most powerful yet strangest-looking three-wheel truck on the Japanese market in the form of the T-2000. It produced 81 HP and had a longer truck bed that could carry more weight.

All three variants proved to be popular on the domestic Japanese market as well as in some other Asian markets. The production lasted until 1974 without much change to the basic design and engines.

4. Eliica

Another crazy wheel configuration comes from Japan in form of the Eliica electric car, which debuted in 2004. This vehicle features eight wheels, four in the front and four in the back. Interestingly, each wheel has its own electric engine to power it. The four front wheels are for turning. However, since all eight are powered, the main computer decides which wheel will get more power according to road conditions.

The Eliica project is the brainchild of the design team at Keio University in Tokyo. The team wanted to explore the future of fully electric passenger cars. Like almost all fully electric cars, the Eliica has impressive acceleration figures. It can achieve 60 mph in just 4.0 seconds and top 370 km/h.

The eight-wheel configuration offers additional stability at high speeds. And testing on the Nardo track proved just that. Unfortunately, because eight wheels require a lot of space and the car needs a lot of batteries, the Eliica is heavy at almost 2.5 tons. Since the introduction of the original Eliica concept 13 years ago, the electric car market has evolved.

And despite the great performance, this eight-wheeler is too expensive, strange and heavy for commercial production. The design team continues to improve the original concept. However, no one knows if the Eliica will ever see full-scale production, in limited numbers, at least.

5. Campagna T-Rex

The T-Rex is the brainchild of Daniel Campagna, a former Canadian race car driver. His company has been active in producing three-wheel vehicles and sidecars for motorcycles since the late ’80s. The first and most popular product is the T-Rex, which they introduced in 1990. They’ve modified it over the years and it is still in production.

The T-Rex is considered a motorcycle, but to be honest, it is something in-between. It has a motorcycle engine from BMW, Suzuki, Kawasaki or Harley Davidson mounted behind the driver to power the rear wheel. Currently, the T-Rex has a 160 HP engine from the BMW K1600 motorcycle.

The driver and passenger sit in the front, while the two front wheels control the steering. In contrast to vehicles with a single front wheel, the T-Rex is much more stable and can achieve high cornering speeds. The owners describe the T-Rex like driving an overpowered go-cart with crazy soundtrack, and we can only imagine how it is to drive this ludicrous machine under full throttle.

Practicality is not the strongest suit of the T-Rex since the driver and passenger have no weather protection and basically no trunk space. The only storage spaces are the boxes on the side of the rear wheel with limited capacity. Interestingly, the T-Rex is a popular, fun vehicle and is still in production at the Campagna factory in Quebec, Canada.

6. Panther 6

Almost forgotten today, Panther Westwinds was a British car company that concentrated on retro-styled roadsters and custom cars. During the 1970s, Panther became famous for its popular De Ville Roadster and a series of wild one-off creations that captivated the imagination of car fans all over the world.

However, one of the craziest cars they produced in that period was the Panther 6. It was a six-wheel roadster with a monstrous 8.2-liter-V8 engine they sourced from the Cadillac Eldorado. They placed an enormous engine behind the cabin to power the rear wheels, while the four wheels in the front managed the steering. To achieve the proper ride height and save space in the front where the double suspension assembly was, they installed smaller wheels compared to the bigger ones in the back.

Westwinds conceived the Panther 6 as an over-the-top luxury convertible. So, they gave it a leather interior, climate control, and power windows and doors. They even installed a TV and phone. The designers claimed the Panther 6 could achieve 200 mph or 320 km/h top speeds, but the automobile experts were suspicious of these numbers.

On top of that, Panther never allowed anyone to do independent testing. In production between 1977 and 1978, Panther produced just two vehicles in this model. Both cars still survive up to this day.

7. Elio P4

The economic recession that hit the global economy in 2008 caused many entrepreneurs to invest in more efficient, affordable transportation. Electric cars were one of the obvious solutions, but the technology was still unperfected and not exactly inexpensive. But, another way to be economical is to produce barebones cars with small weights and engines.

However, American businessman, Paul Elio, went a step further by designing a single-seater, three-wheel car. It comes with all the modern comforts and safety equipment, but it is lighter, delivering fantastic fuel economy. He calls it the P4 and it is an interesting solution for urban transport. It combines comfort and a sizable trunk space.

It has a 55 HP engine that sends power to the front wheels, delivering decent performance and cruising speeds of over 100 mph. Since the establishment of the company, they have revealed plans for production. And so far, the P4 has generated much interest from people all over America, getting over 60,000 reservations.

Paul Elio announced full-scale production would start in 2017 and the P4 would cost a little over $7,000. But at the time of writing this article, they have yet to deliver a car. But, there is some controversial information about the financial state of the company and whether production will begin at all.

However, many people would like to see the Elio P4 get its chance, especially those 60,000 people with reservations. Even if it doesn’t make production, perhaps the P4 will start a new trend and make three-wheeled cars massively popular on American roads.

8. Morgan 3-Wheeler

Despite the fact they didn’t produce it in big numbers, the Morgan 3-Wheeler is a popular, iconic vehicle. They introduced the original Morgan 3-Wheeler in 1932 in England. Soon, it became popular. The secret of its success was that three-wheel vehicles cost less in road taxes, making them affordable and appealing to customers.

Powered by a motorcycle engine mounted just above the front wheels, the Morgan 3-Wheeler was an agile machine with sports car performance. This also made it popular with enthusiasts and kept it in production until 1952. After the original 3-Wheeler, Morgan produced many regular sports cars, but the legend of a small three-wheeled roadster never left the company.

So, in 2011, Morgan Cars announced plans for the revival of the classic 3-Wheeler in the same form and design, but with modern power and an updated drivetrain. They introduced it in 2012 as the new generation of the Morgan 3-Wheeler. It features a Harley Davidson V2 engine with 115 HP, which powers a single rear wheel over a five-speed manual gearbox. Since the weight of the vehicle is just over 500 kg, the performance is great.

This little roadster needs just 4.5 seconds to sprint from 0 to 60 mph. The new Morgan 3-Wheeler proved to be popular and there is a waiting list over a year long. The company is even working on an electric version, so they can promote the concept to a wider and more environmentally-friendly audience.

9. Bond Bug

A typical groovy Kei Car with three wheels from the early 1970s, the Bond Bug was a unique vehicle. Not only did it have a strange wheel configuration, you could lift the top of the body to allow access inside. In front, just above the front wheel was a small 700 cc, four-cylinder engine they made from a light alloy that produced 29 HP.

You may think 29 HP is not that much and you are right, but the Bond Bug weighed less than 400 kg, so its performance was impressive. They designed it as a fun car – a kind of go-kart for adults. With its wedge design and cool 1970s-style graphics, it soon became popular.

Although it wasn’t stable due to the single wheel in the front, it could provide swift acceleration, which was good enough for most customers. Because of its small dimensions and lightness, it gave the exaggerated feel of speed, making drivers think they were traveling much faster than they really were. It stayed in production for four years, from 1970 to 1974 and they build exactly 2,270 of them.

10. Tyrrell P34

If you think that wacky wheel configurations are reserved only for road cars, think again. The famous Tyrrell P34 introduced the six-wheel concept to Formula One, and with some success. From this distance, it is safe to say that if Tyrrell invested more time and money into the P34, it could have been a championship-winning car.

They introduced the P34 in 1976 featuring four small wheels in the front and two in the back. The front wheels managed the steering and much of the braking. The basic idea was if the car had more grip in the front, it could brake more efficiently and turn at higher speeds. When the car debuted, it proved to be competitive, causing others to consider implementing that solution to their Formula One cars.

Unfortunately, the P34 was too complicated and suffered from problems with reliability, often causing it to retire before the race ended. However, when everything worked properly, the Tyrrell P34 was fast. And it out-cornered and out-braked the competition with ease.

The car was active for just two seasons, 1976 and 1977, but managed to win the Swedish Grand Prix in 1976. The six-wheel design of the Tyrrell P34 Formula One car made an impact, influencing the designers of cars like the Panther 6 and the Covini C6W.

11. BMW Isetta

Most people are familiar with the BMW Isetta or “bubble car.” They produced it in the 1950s, with various companies assembling it in different countries. The Isetta and all its variants became the most popular, successful microcars with an unusual wheel configuration. This vehicle has four wheels, two in the front and two in the back, yet it looks like it has three.

The two rear wheels are so close together, they appear to be one wheel. Other interesting features include a motorcycle engine and one door to enter the car. In fact, the whole front of the Isetta opens to allow passengers to enter and exit the vehicle. The trunk is basically nonexistent, so drivers can only use the small space behind the two front seats.

The history of the Isetta starts in Italy where a company called Iso; hence, the name presented the concept of a micro car with a motorcycle engine. The Isetta originally had three wheels, but when BMW bought the licensing rights and changed the design, they gave the Isetta its four-wheel configuration.

BMW sold the rights for production to a few small factories around the world. The Isetta was quite popular because it was an inexpensive and versatile mode of transportation during the early post-war years. Today, the Isetta is a highly-desirable classic car, which has become quite expensive for such a small, slow vehicle with unusual features and a unique design.

12. David Pajić Daka – Prvenac

If you think about the Yugoslavian car industry, the first car that probably comes to mind is the Yugo, a small compact car from the 1980s. They based it on the Fiat 127, which they sold all over Europe and America. People often called it “the worst car ever,” because the Yugo was not impressive to look at. But it was affordable, simple and usable, which was good enough for most customers in Yugoslavia and abroad.

However, those Yugoslav engineers had some interesting ideas that never received proper attention. And one such project was the Prvenac, which means, “the first one, or the firstborn.” The elevator company, David Pajić Daka, produced it in 1958. They envisioned a small, two-seater city car that featured a strange but usable wheel configuration.

The car had four wheels, but they arranged them in a strange way. It has one wheel in the front and one wheel in the back, with two wheels on the sides of the car. However, this layout provided the Prvenac with unbelievable maneuverability. In fact, this car could parallel park with ease and precision.

They updated the road performance with a 250-cc gasoline engine. Also, the Prvenac delivered decent performance for the period. Unfortunately, they only produced one prototype, which has disappeared since. They never allowed for mass production, which is strange since the car was ready for full production and quite inexpensive to build.

13. Mercedes G Class G63 AMG 6×6

The Mercedes G-Class is one of the longest running models in the car world. They first introduced it in 1979 as a primarily military off-road truck and SUV, and it is still on the market today with the same basic design. During the course of almost 40 years, it survived many modifications and redesigns, but never changed its distinctive appearance and basic mechanical layout.

So, what do you do when you can’t modify the model anymore or make it more exclusive? Just attach a pickup truck bed and install one more axle to make it the fastest, most expensive and rarest 6X6 in the world. And that is how Mercedes created one monster of a truck.

The AMG 6×6 is a monster with its power and torque ratings and a monster by its sticker price, too. Under the hood is the 5.5-liter twin-turbo engine with 540 HP. Interestingly, it delivers power to all six wheels through a specially built automatic transmission unit.

14. Ford Raptor Hennessey 6×6

Let’s just talk numbers. The 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 with 450 HP and 510 lb-ft, 10-speed automatic transmission and sub-five-second acceleration times. The figures suggest this is an exotic supercar, right? No, this is a full-size pickup truck with room for five people and a regular truck bed.

But for the folks at Hennessey Performance, this wasn’t enough. So, they attached one more axle on the back, creating a 6×6 vehicle. Also, they upgraded the engine power to over 600 HP. Of course, the price is astronomical, starting at $349,000.

15. Mattracks

What should you do if you need a caterpillar-type vehicle for rescuing people in snowstorms, but all you have is a regular truck? It’s easy. Just buy a Mattrack half-track kit for your pickup, so you can go into the mountains and back without any problems.

The Mattrack company found an interesting way into transforming practically any vehicle into an army-grade off-road beast with four independent half-tracks. The price is not insignificant, but it is well worth it.

16. Velorex

They built the Velorex Oskar in Czechoslovakia, in the 50s. And it was one of the strangest cars they ever produced behind the Iron Curtain. And since a motorcycle company built it, it looked more like a three-wheeled bike than a proper car.

It was powered by a 300 cc motorcycle engine with six HP. However, since the car was extremely light, this tiny motor produced a serious performance, as well. Interestingly, the Velorex didn’t have body panels, but had canvas that stretched over the frame rails.

17. Fuldamobil

The Fuldamobil was a lineup of small Kei-cars they produced in Germany in the 50s, exporting them worldwide. The car was a typical microcar of the period. It had a tiny body, two seats and a small motorcycle engine powering a single rear wheel. Also, all Fuldamobils were three-wheel cars with two wheels in the front and one in the back.

18. Peel P50

This obscure micro car from England become famous when they featured it in an episode of the Top Gear TV show. But there is more to the Peel P50 than just making fun of this vehicle. They offered it from 1962 to 1965. The P50 was the smallest passenger car in the world, which is an unbeaten record.

The P50 was basically a single-seater with a Plexiglas body around it and a tiny motorcycle engine powering the rear wheel. Even so, the P50 has some performance, so driving such vehicle must be quite an experience.

19. Polaris Slingshot

Developing the theme of three-wheel performance car, Polaris presented the Slingshot. It was a three-wheel half motorcycle-half performance roadster that debuted in 2014. The Slingshot can sit two people and has a 2.4 liter engine delivering 173 HP. However, since the car is light and low to the ground, it has crazy acceleration times and high top speeds.

20. Messerschmitt KR200

You might know the Messerschmitt name from some World War II history books as the company produced fighter planes. But after the war, they decided to assemble small, bubble-top cars out of spare parts and plane canopies.

The first model was the Messerschmitt KR200. It was powered by a motorcycle engine with a 200 ccm displacement. They used the three-wheel design because it saved weight and was inexpensive to produce.

These are the top 20 cars with wacky wheel configurations today. Did you find your favorite on this list? If you drive any of these cars, you’re sure to catch the attention of everyone on the road.