Skip to main content

Vanderhall Venice 3-wheeler puts you close to the road moving fast

Looking back to move forward: Vanderhall Venice
If you’re looking for a ride that’s at once unique, open, fast, and not too pricey, the Vanderhall Venice 3-wheeler could put both a big smile on your face and fire in your eyes. As with the popular Polaris Slingshot, Vanderhall puts two wheels in front and a single drive wheel in the rear.

Provo, Utah-based Vanderhall offers two 3-wheeler models, both side-by-side two-seaters. The Venice lists for $29,950. A limited-by-dealer-allocation Laguna Sport Premium edition starts at $58,850 and comes equipped with a list of luxury and comfort upgrades and a host of additional options if you don’t mind spending twice as much money and waiting four to six months.

The Laguna model comes with bigger wheels, a paddle shifter, and adjustable suspension, plus amenities like fenders, nicer carpeting, air conditioning, and cruise control. At near $60,000 and climbing, however, the Laguna may add bespoke customization but not much more than the already full serving of excitement on tap with the Venice.

The Venice, like the Laguna, is built on a mono-aluminum chassis. You get a formed composite body with the Venice, carbon fiber on the Laguna. Power for both models comes from a 1.4-liter inline 4-cylinder turbocharged GM Lov engine mated with a six-speed automatic transmission. According to the Robb Report, the Venice’s 1,375-pound dry weight and the 180-horsepower motor can scoot the open vehicle from 0 to 60 mph in less than 4.5 seconds.

The two-seater’s standard equipment list includes three 18-inch aluminum wheels, a wooden steering wheel, roll bars, a heater, and a 600-watt sound system. Color choices are Metallic Black, Pearl White, Metallic Gray, and Dark Red. You can reserve a Venice for $250 and a Vanderhall representative will contact you to discuss possible options. Once built, your Vanderhall Venice will be delivered via the closest dealer.

The Struggle is Real: Vanderhall Venice

Does your automotive passion pull in more directions than your budget can handle? With its $29,950 price, the Vanderhall Venice 3-wheeler is priced like a well-equipped Mazda Miata or a top-of-the-line BMW K 1600 GTL Exclusive touring motorcycle. If you’re attracted to both the Miata and the Beemer or two similar choices but you can’t decide, maybe the Venice could be a 3-wheeled compromise.

Polaris’ Slingshot and the Vanderhall Venice share a similar configuration. Other than dealer location and service convenience — Polaris has far more dealers than Vanderhall — the choice between the two may come down to personal preference. The Slingshot looks like something Batman would drive, while the Venice is definitely more James Bond.

Editors' Recommendations

Bruce Brown
Digital Trends Contributing Editor Bruce Brown is a member of the Smart Homes and Commerce teams. Bruce uses smart devices…
Best electric car charger deals: $100 off home charging stations
The handle of the Grizzl-E EV charger plugged into a vehicle.

A few years ago, electric vehicles were pretty rare or cost a fortune, but with more and more of the larger car brands getting into the game, there are a lot of excellent and even budget-friendly choices nowadays. That said, the electrical network for charging your cars might not be that widespread, so instead you'll have to rely on charging your car at home. Luckily, there are a lot of excellent car chargers at a discount, so if you've just bought an EV or want to upgrade your current charging solution, be sure to check out our favorite deals below.
Shockflo EV charger — $205, was $220

This EV charger by Shockflo is a Level 2 EV charger, which offers six times faster charging than a standard charger. It delivers 24 miles with just one hour of charging, and it can act as a mobile charger you can throw in the trunk or be mounted to a wall. It has an LCD display with useful information like charging rate, voltage, and charging time, as well as LED indicator lights that lets you know charging progress and errors.

Read more
Mercedes-Benz EQG: range, price, release date, and more
Concept image of the larger electric G-Wagon

The G-Class is going electric. We already knew that Mercedes-Benz was working on an electric, small-size G-Wagon, but it looks like the company is also working on a larger G-Class SUV, in the form of the EQG. In fact, Mercedes has gone as far as to show off a concept version of the off-roader.

While there's much we don't know about what will become the production model of the EQG, Mercedes has also shared a lot about it. Curious about whether the Mercedes-Benz EQG could be the EV for you? Here's everything we know so far.
Design
Fear not -- the EQG will retain many of the design aspects of the G-Class that you already know and love but with a modern face-lift. The EQG will keep the boxy design that gives the G-Class a classic look but with some additional modern styling, at least if the concept version is anything to go by.

Read more
Rivian R2 vs. Kia EV9: battle of affordable electric SUVs
Kia EV9 GT-Line Three Quarters

The long-awaited Rivian R2 has finally been announced, and it's an excellent option for those who want an electric SUV that doesn't completely break the bank. Sure, the R2 isn't cheap -- but it's a whole lot cheaper than most other EVs out there, especially when it comes to SUVs. But Rivian isn't the only company trying to tackle the problem of the budget electric SUV. The Kia EV9 is finally available, and it too offers a modern design and a range of helpful features.

Given the fact that the Rivian R2 and Kia EV9 are two electric SUVs in a similar price range, you might be wondering which is better for your needs. That's why we put the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 head-to-head.
Design
Both the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 are actual SUVs -- not crossovers pretending to be SUVs, like plenty of other EVs out there. The two vehicles offer big, boxy designs and plenty of interior space, making them excellent options for families or those who need that extra storage.

Read more