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Three-Wheeled, Two-Passenger Toy
Volkswagen AG dispatched a group of German engineers, planners and marketers to the USA to learn about the American car market. The code name for this group of traveling market monitors was “Moonraker”. The Volkswagen GX3 concept is a product of the Moonraker project.
Volkswagen’s Design Center in California worked with the Moonraker team to develop a new concept for fuel-efficient fun mobility specifically geared toward U.S. buyers. The direction was to create a quintessential and pure driving machine. The inspiration was the minimalist design language found in GP motorcycles and F1 race cars. The result is the GX3. Though not the first time that VW has studied a three-wheeled vehicle, this one the company claims may be built if reaction is positive. VW is looking beyond the typical vehicle shapes and segments to come up with new opportunities for increasing U.S. sales.
At its introduction at the Los Angeles Auto Show in January 2006, the GX3 created a mob scene when Wolfgang Bernhard, the new head of the Volkswagen group in Germany, drove the GX3 onto the stand. VehicleVoice and AutoPacific correspondents were on hand to learn what GX3 has to offer. The first thing to come to mind is a striking similarity to a twenty-plus year old concept called the Trihawk that used a Peugeot front wheel drive system and a single rear wheel “dragged” along for the ride. Trihawk was purchased by Harley-Davidson in the mid-1980s but never saw production after Harley bought the brand and the vehicle. In those days, Harley was in dire straits and had no resources to expand beyond its bread and butter motorcycle lineup.

A Modern Motorcycle
Though the GX3 seats two side-by-side, it is a motorcycle. Though in some states, this would require a helmet, it also means this open vehicle could be driven in the carpool lanes even solo. This structure is an ultralight vehicle, using a high-density, warp-resistant steel construction space frame. Paneling of interior and exterior components are of high-density fiberglass. Despite its diminutive size, a small trunk is included behind the seats. Power is from a 125HP 1.6L four-cylinder engine VW uses in international markets for cars, mated to a six-speed transmission, and moving a vehicle that only weighs 1257 pounds. VW claims a 5.7 zero-to-62mph time for this cycle, as well as an expected 43mpg. Front wheels are seventeen-inchers, controlled by a double lateral steering axle that resembles an automobile layout. The rear axle is more like that of a motorcycle. As this is an open car, and very low to the ground, it incorporates roll hoops. Other safety-minded features include five-point racing harnesses for the passengers, though as a motorcycle there are no airbags.

Possible Production
At the GX3 introduction, Volkswagen said they could build and sell the GX3 in the States with a price tag about $17,000, if reaction from the show circuit indicates strong enough demand. Volkswagen did not indicate how many they might be looking to sell, or how many they might need to move to make such an entry profitable. GX3 may be somewhat safer than a traditional cycle because the occupants are less exposed than on a motorcycle, the open cockpit limits the weather in which it can comfortably be driven. It cannot replace your full-time year-round commuter car, so it still falls into the toy category as much as any other motorcycle. The driving experience could be terrifically fun, as the GX3 should be quick and very nimble. Does the GX3 offer anything, other than an unusual package and a sporty and unique look, that motorcycle enthusiasts and owners cannot get from their present vehicle? If produced, would GX3 be a fad or fashion statement or will it spark a change in the motorcycle market?