I think the Morgan gets a pass because it is basically what a lot of guys want: somewhat updated mechanicals (newer, more powerful engine; disc brakes; 5 spd trans; updated suspension) wrapped in a body that is basically unchanged from 70+ years ago.
Huckleberry said:In reply to Jumper K. Balls :
I hate them both equally for ME.
But if these silly contraptions make people smile or get out and play with vehicles it's all good. They don't need to know I'm not laughing with them but at them.
It's still funny for ME.
I can understand that. Myself every time I see a jacked up 3/4 or 1 ton truck (so every 5 minutes) i have a similar feeling of rage. "They've ruined a perfectly good tool" , "you can't do any serious towing with those tires", "no one can unload a yard of gravel from a bed that high"
Yet the owners seem to love the stupid things.
The last time we had this discussion, the answer to instantly improve traction and handling was to add a 4th wheel. It's still the same.
The only people who think these things are remotely close to riding a motorcycle are people who don't ride motorcycles.
I think Slingshots are pretty cool. It's a vehicle built for fun, isn't that the sort of thing we wish for more of? It looks cool. If you want attention, it delivers. I've literally never seen more people approach a vehicle in a parking lot than a local guy with a Slingshot.
I like them. They are not meant for anything motorsports related. Get over it. You don't bring a knife to a gun fight, but it's still okay to like knives... and guns.
In reply to RossD :
Morgan? Sure.
Slingshot? See my post on previous page. It was "born for the track". Seems that while all of us understand that a 3 wheeler is not meant for motorsports, Polaris & people who don't understand physics believe it is.
I think that three-wheelers in general have an image problem largely by virtue of all the atrocious monstrosities that have been built in that config. That said, I'm not convinced that they can't be tamed with proper engineering. Kurt Bilinski has mentioned that there's a guy with a home-built 3-wheeler in Socal who tears it up pretty good at track days.
In reply to Kreb :
Absolutely. A good starting point for a trike would be to have a substantially wide track on the 2-wheeled axle (Slingshot good), tires that keep max lateral grip below maybe 50%-ish of the rollover threshold (Slingshot questionable), overhang the engine as far as practical beyond the 2-wheeled axle (Slingshot bad), place the occupant(s) on or as near as possible to the longitudinal centerline (Slingshot bad) and as close to the 2-wheeled axle as possible (Slingshot bad), and drive the 2-wheeled axle (Slingshot bad).
I am also of the opinion the dynamics of a trike are different enough to the 4-wheeled cars that we've all become so accustomed to, that it should be designed specifically such that the 2-wheeled axle should inherently tend to slide first. The first instinct of any decent driver will be to transfer weight towards the sliding end, but on a trike you want to transfer weight towards the 2-wheeled end. If the 1-wheeled end slides first, the driver has to choose between taming the sliding or potentially rolling it over. This is likely part of the reason that the stability control computer is so critical on a RWD 2F1R like the Slingshot, as it can cut power and force weight transfer towards the 2-wheeled axle, when most enthusiast drivers would be trying to power through as if it were a RWD 4-wheeled car.
This is also one of the reasons 2F1R is probably safer for the general public, assuming one that is actually designed 'correctly', while racecars like the Deltawing (not a true trike, but effectively one) can more readily be 1F2R. Untrained people tend to let off regardless of whether it's understeer or oversteer. So regardless of general public or enthusiast, they will tend to do the right thing on an understeering 2F1R. Meanwhile, only those who have the wherewithal to stay in it on an oversteering 1F2R will do the right thing.
In reply to Kreb:
ok that's nice
Don't know how it drives, but it's nicely designed and detailed from an aesthetic POV. It's also FWD which has the dual benefit of making it less likely to roll over, and increases cockpit space.
In reply to RevRico :
Starts at $58.8k and takes 4 to 6 months for delivery
For that kind of time and money I'd expect a 4th wheel 
Their "entry-level" offering is $30K. That's ridiculous if you compare it to normal cars. But in the specialty market, that's not out of line IMO. The 2x premium for all the bells and whistles seems a bit steep however.
In reply to Kreb :
The Venice is the entry car and does not appear to have any options except color - it's very bare bones.
The Laguna in the picture above starts at $58.8k before any options. You can crank it up over 60k with just a paint code choice. That's pretty steep. I guess it's neat in it's own way - it is good looking - but it would be no less neat and a whole lot better with that one extra wheel.
I don't disagree, but that's why I emphasized "specialty market", which is a particularly non-linear branch of supply and demand. i.e. Almost everyone in the world may think that something's not their cup o' tea, while a few dozen people love it and have the means to buy it, thus on a decidedly micro level, it's a success.
In reply to Kreb :
I suppose so. I have pretty eclectic tastes so I can get why someone would want something odd just to be different. I will just say none of these 3 wheeled things are up my alley. Mainly because what I value in a vehicle is performance - and both a two wheeler and a four wheeler will be a better performance platform.
It has come to my attention that there are other views on the subject and I'll try to respect them however wrong they may be.
oldrotarydriver said:My interest in the Slingshot was running hot in early 2015, when I had a chance to swing by a dealer in NJ after hunting down a transmission for the RX-8. Once I laid eyes on an actual 'Shot and asked pointed questions of the sales drone, my interest faded quite a bit. As others have mentioned so far, the thing is HUGE, and also as mentioned, a certain movie maven, with a penchant for huge explosions in lieu of dialog, must have had influence in at least the front end design. This pic from my road trip said it all:
On the left, a Slingshot in Decepticon mode. On the right, my 2007 Chevy Trailblazer in road-weary state.
Since there was no way in Hades I'd pass the SCCA / NASA / whoever 'broomstick test' while seated in the Polaris, it ruled out any attempt at track time. The sheer width of it startled me, the rough eyeball measure gave it about 8" more track width than my 'Blazer. Add to it a purchase price $6500 in excess of said used 'Blazer at the time, that nailed the lid shut. :-(
There USED TO BE ("used to be" because it was destined to fail) a Polaris dealer in the town I live in, and i would always see these things zipping around town on test drives. I was always astonished at how big the small thing was...or vice versa? it was like the proportions were all wonky. It didnt look big, until you saw it next to a regular car, and your mind exploded when you realized that you might have trouble parking the thing in a normal spot. Then, sometimes it might look pretty big if you saw one parked by itself, until you watched some normal sized person have a hard time shoehorning themselves into the thing. It was the weirdest automotive bastard I had ever seen. Seems like Michael Bay needs to go back to design school to get his sense of scale right...
I think the whole parking spot thing is BS. Yes it's a wide car, but the biggest issue in this country is not the width of cars or parking spaces (American parking spaces are freeking massive) it's the issue of large cars with long doors. It becomes difficult to get out of wide car because the door is so long you can only open it a fraction, then you need to squeeze out between you car and door making sure you don't hit the car next to you. For a start the Polaris doesn't have doors and second, the passenger compartment is narrower than the front track, you have lot's of room to step out of these cars. I've seen many parked around SE Michigan, both on street and in parking structures and I've never seen a potential issue. Now, try parking one in any European city center and we can have a conversation about being difficult to park, but I don't think they sell them over the pond.
That Vanderhall thing needs very carefully composed pictures to look good, unless it's captured just right it looks ungainly to me. For the price I'd have a Morgan any day. I still like the Slingshot and think it's a good deal for what it is, but It's not my kind of vehicle.
We were at a party a few weeks ago and there was a guy there with a fairly new, bright red Slingshot. He was giving all the ladies rides around the property in it.
I think the prerequisite was that they had to be topless, so while I initially thought the Slingshot was hideous, I found myself looking at it more and more.
In reply to Zomby Woof :
You must go to fun parties.
I like them, but have not driven one. Talking to owners, they love them. My wife likes them.
It makes me want to build a vettecart or simular something, with a manual transmission, open air, but with more comfortable seats and a roll bar.
Having past spinal surgery - the slingshot (I have sat in a few) would probably send me back to the surgeon.
I am a huge three-wheeler fan. I even worked at Campagna for a little while building the T-Rex's and V13R's. It is possible to make a good handling three-wheeler but it requires more serious engineering than most models get. I am including the early versions of the T-Rex in there. Because of that, they have a big image problem (kinda like kit cars).
Campagna even tried to develop a racing version of the T-Rex to prove to the world that they could be nice handling. See below.
They only did two events in Formule Libre (against older formulas) before the national sanctionning body banned them even if they were doing great and showed absolutly no signs of risk or ill-handling.
With that said, I don't like the Slingshot and I wouldn't let it on track without some serious testing.
Huckleberry said:In reply to RevRico :
Starts at $58.8k and takes 4 to 6 months for delivery
For that kind of time and money I'd expect a 4th wheel
Yea I saw the price after I posted the picture. For that money, I'd want the Morgan or a proper 4 wheeled conveyance.
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