The rush of wind in my face and the sight of asphalt swiftly disappearing beneath my feet are sensations that makes me blush with excitement; but it’s usually an experience I associate with riding a motorcycle. My taste for cars was spoiled the moment I fell in love with riding, but Vanderhall, a boutique company based in Provo, Utah, set out to prove there is fun to be had with more than two wheels. The company’s 2019 Venice Speedster is a turbocharged, single-seat three-wheeler that looks like it was dropped from some beautiful future. Vanderhall describes its vehicles as “autocycles,” which is a marketing term for “Neither this, nor that, but a little of both.”

Everything about it raises questions. Is that a roll hoop behind the driver’s seat? Should I be wearing a helmet? I carefully stepped over the shoulder line into the mono-cockpit; there is no door. It’s a good thing I practice yoga, I thought, contorting myself into the driver’s seat. There are two shift knobs, one mounted to the floor and another to my left, and it took a moment to figure out which does what. One lever takes care of gear selection while the other operates as a sequential shifter for the Speedster’s six-speed automatic.

Julia LaPalme

The Speedster is based off the Vanderhall Venice, which was first released in 2017 with a GM-sourced 1.4-liter inline 4-cylinder turbocharged engine, disc brakes, and a composite body, but while the Venice has room for two, the Speedster only accommodates one person: the driver. Pumping out 180 horses and 185 pound-feet of torque, it’s not slow. The Speedster’s slight 1430-pound curb weight puts in the same power-to-weight ratio realm of a Lotus Evora.

But the Speedster makes the Evora look about as interesting as a Crown Vic. Everywhere I drove, heads turned, facial expressions conveying curiosity and confusion. The design is part of the joy, part of what sets the Speedster apart from other three-wheelers in this category. All of Vanderhall’s machines have a beautiful retro-future aesthetic. Simple, clean lines along the body panel lead to an open front grille with two round headlights. The passenger space on the Speedster is blocked by a panel that continues the hood’s horizontal plane. An offset sport stripe reaches from front to back, tracing over the passenger area. With no passenger seat, the space under that panel is big enough to fit a set of golf clubs, but any small items will end up shifting during flight. The wooden steering wheel, chrome toggle switches, stainless floor boards, and brown leather interior create a retro-industrial feel.

Julia LaPalme

It kept me smiling from start to finish. When I finally left the congested suburban town center and its gawking crowds, I opened up the Speedster’s throttle and gave out an exhilarated giggle. The wind whipped my hair around my face, every little tap of locks to skin a sharp reminder of the bliss of open-air motoring. I didn’t quite realize how much I was smiling until my cheeks started to hurt.

I expected the suspension to be overly harsh, but the Speedster is surprisingly comfortable. The pushrod front coilovers made riding over bumps and through quick dips tolerable. It wasn’t punishing like a tightly sprung sports car. It was at the firm end of the middle ground, a goldilocks setting with just the right amount of give combined with the right amount of feedback.

Julia LaPalme

The straights were a blast right off the bat, giving me plenty of space and distance to get familiar with that 1.4-liter turbo. I shifted from drive to manual, and could almost remember the joy of driving stick. The visceral click of the shifter from one gear to the next was satisfying, even if I didn’t get to play footsie with a clutch pedal. With so little weight, the Speedster feels unlike anything else on the road: light, quick, and fun.

What better place for a machine like this than Los Angeles’ infamous Mulholland Drive? The steering is an electro-mechanical rack and pinion borrowed from GM, but it’s well-weighted, and requires just enough effort. Those low profile tires help keep the Speedster stuck to the pavement, but my main concern as I flicked the three-wheeler back and forth through the canyon’s turns was keeping in mind where the right wheel is located. The front end is a little wider than what I first imagined. Another thing to get used to.

Julia LaPalme

A package this tidy and stylish seems poised to cost a pretty penny. The Speedster is by no means meant to be your only form of transportation, unless you truly dig the solo life and have little worry about inclement weather. For most motoring enthusiasts, it’s a beautiful, quirky weekender. The base price for a bare bones Venice Speedster is $26,950. With all the added options, including the bump shifter, brown leather interior, big brake kit, and sport stripe decals, the model I drove was $37,644 with dealer installation labor and destination charge.

This is a bargain, but only when compared to the base price of a Morgan three-wheeler, which starts at $45,000. Meanwhile, you can get into a Polaris Slingshot for around $21,000. The Vanderhall would more likely be cross shopped with a Morgan, but if you’re simply looking for a three wheeler, there are cheaper options out there. I would argue they won’t be as fun or feel as special. Now, more than ever, that’s why we drive.

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