VW

GX3 Concept: the brand's curious two-seater tricycle model

Almost 17 years ago, in January 2006, at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Volkswagen presented one of the most curious and different prototypes in its history, the so-called Volkswagen GX3 Concept, which, as we can see in the images, had only three wheels.

Volkswagen's small two-seater model, which when it was presented seemed close to becoming a reality and there was even talk of a price of less than 17,000 dollars, was designed for the United States, and more specifically to benefit from the use of 'carpool' routes, but in the end it was never manufactured.

The prototype measured 3.75 meters in length (with 2.7 meters of wheelbase), 1.85 meters in width and only 1.21 meters in height. Underneath its body was a modest 1.6-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine, with 127 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 152 Nm of maximum torque, which was coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission.

All the engine's power was sent to the wide rear wheel (315/30 R18) via a motorcycle-style chain drive. As with them, the wheel was suspended by a swingarm and held only on one side, while the front wheels were fitted with 125/45 R17 tires and had a double wishbone suspension.

Despite its power figure, the truth is that the power-to-weight ratio was quite good, with 4.49 kg/hp, as the vehicle only weighed 570 kg empty, thanks to a steel construction (chassis) and fiberglass (bodywork). A real toy that would certainly have been a lot of fun to drive.

The GX3 announced an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 200 km/h, figures that at the time were reserved for true sports cars. In addition, due to its weight, its consumption was only 19.2 km/l.

According to the brand, the design of the GX3, halfway between a car and a motorcycle, was inspired by Grand Prix motorcycles and Formula 1 single-seaters. mounted on the tail of a motorcycle.

The interior was perhaps the most spartan of the vehicle, similar to that of classic roadsters, with a metal-framed steering wheel, two single clocks in the central part of the dashboard, a long metal gearshift with a golf ball-type lever (a nod to the Golf GTI ) and five-point seat belts for the occupants. In addition, behind the seats it had a small trunk with a cargo volume of 80 liters.

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