Three is sometimes called the magic number, and whether you're after something with three wheels or three seats, the automotive world can once again deliver choice. Here are five of our favourites.
1 - McLaren F1 (1992-1998)
When we first tried this three-seat supercar, we called it the finest driving machine yet built for the public road, and many think it still is.
Ex-Formula 1 designer Gordon Murray created this 240mph, low-weight, high-tech rocketship. The driver sits in the middle, because that’s the best place to be, and the two passengers sit either side
Power comes from a mid-mounted 617bhp 6.1-litre BMW V12 that shoots the F1 from zero to 100mph in just 6.3sec. It goes, it stops, it corners, and it does it all faster than just about anything else.
The F1 cost £540,000 new. Today you’ll need at least £6 million, but, shared between three people, that might not be so bad.
2 - Matra Murena (1980-1983)
What the delightfully wide and deliciously low three-seat Murena lacked in speed it made up for in sensual gratification.
It replaced the equally fruity Bagheera and retained that car’s three-in-a-row seating layout, with the driver on the left of the passengers (or on the right, in a few cases) in a stylish, if cosy, interior.
The higher-powered of the two engine options was a 118bhp 2.2-litre mid-mounted four, which pushes the Murena from 0-60mph in 8.8sec and on to 122mph. Cornering is impressive, with little pitch or roll. It even rides well.
Only 10,000 examples were made, but if you’re happy with left-hand drive, there are plenty available on the Continent, priced from around £4k.
3 - Morgan 3 Wheeler (2012-present)
A tricycle with two wheels at the front and one at the rear is an infinitely more stable affair than one with the layout reversed. Keep the centre of mass low and it can also be remarkably civilised.
Morgan showed how this could be done as far back as 1912. Its three-wheelers subsequently inspired many more modern interpretations and prompted the Malvern firm to bring out a new version of its own in 2012.
Powered by an 80bhp 2.0-litre V-twin, this 3 Wheeler is a faster and more chunky affair than the original but retains its low-flying, chocks-away spirit. It dispatches 0-62mph in 8.0sec and attacks corners with aplomb. A good second-hand one will be £25k.
4 - Piaggio MP3 (2006-present)
Encounter so much as a wet leaf mid-bend on your motorbike and you will be sliding down the road on your leather-clad rump. Trikes that have two wheels at the rear don’t have this problem, but they can’t thread through traffic like an ordinary motorcycle can.
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I still struggle to
This must be the year's
Bullfinch wrote: most
If you have any imagination, use it: it just a bit of fun.
.
Time of year, innit
However, when you open an article titled "Three-seaters and three-wheelers from £3000", you don't really expect the first offering to be £6 million. Maybe put that at the end...
Bond Bug