The Ideal Combination of Car and Motorcycle?

For being hailed as the most athletic automobile in the world, the Vandenbrink Carver is certainly an odd looking one. It's a

The athletically inclined Vandenbrink Carver is certainly an odd looking vehicle. (Photo: Vandenbrink)

tandem-seat machine that has three wheels, is just 3.4 metres long (133.4 in.), 1.3 metres (51.1 in.) wide, and 1.4 metres (55.1 in.) high, and what's more, tilts when you corner. Is it a car? Is it a motorcycle? Is it a road-restricted ATV? No one seems to know, but this quirky Dutch machine will easily turn heads and put a smile on your face.

Essentially, the front half of the Carver was inspired by high-performance sport bikes, which explains its narrow nose and open single motorcycle wheel. There's not much by way of styling with the Carver; it is simple to the point of functionality without any fancy curves or brightwork atop its tubular steel structure. The coupe-like profile is full of functional details,

The Carver's front half pivots and tilts up to 45 degrees in each direction in order to turn. (Photo: Vandenbrink)

such as the visible fully-adjustable front suspension, open front fender, and the framework and casing of the open engine compartment.

It's also the front half which contains the Carver's motorcycle DNA. Though it's controlled like a conventional car through throttle, brake and steering wheel, the Carver's front half pivots and tilts up to 45 degrees in each direction in order to turn. The rear half is more like a regular car; it remains fixed and parallel to the road in order to maintain excellent grip and traction. The rear also uses conventional 195/45R15 automobile tires, whereas the front rides on a single 145/70R17 motorcycle tire.

What allows the Carver to tip at such great angles is Vandenbrink's advanced Dynamic Vehicle Control (DVC) system. DVC takes

What allows the Carver to tip at such great angles is Vandenbrink's advanced Dynamic Vehicle Control (DVC) system. (Photo: Vandenbrink)

into account all the critical factors involved with tilting the vehicle, such as its speed, the angle of the tilt, and the angle of the front wheel, in order to create the optimum balance and the best performance. DVC is quick, smooth and nearly seamless in its operation, tilting up to 80 degrees per second. The system is constantly active except at speeds less than 10 km/h and while reversing, for visibility reasons and ease of low-speed manoeuvrability.

The Carver is powered by a motorcycle-sized 660-cc turbocharged inline four with four valves-per-cylinder, mated to a regular five-speed manual gearbox. Despite the engine's tiny capacity, and rather meager outputs of 65 horsepower and 74 lb-ft of torque, it's enough to propel the lightweight Carver to 100 km/h in 8.2 seconds. Top speed for this three-wheeled machine is pegged at an estimated 185 km/h. Aside from delivering quick performance, the engine is quite frugal: Vandenbrink claims an estimated 5.5 L/100

The two-seat Carver holds its occupants in tandem, in racing-style bucket seats due to the body's narrow design. (Photo: Vandenbrink)

km driven on the mixed cycle, which is equivalent to about 51 mpg.

Entry to the cockpit is through conventional doors; however, the layout is anything but conventional. The two-seater Carver holds its occupants in tandem, in racing-style bucket seats due to the body's narrow design. Looking out the tall but narrow front window, which forms part of the roof, one gets the impression that they're in a small aircraft - a feeling that grows once underway from the glasshouse side windows, low seating position, brisk performance and banked cornering abilities. Due to the restrictions of the tandem layout and rear-mounted engine, the rear seat (when not in use) doubles as the trunk and storage space.

At 29,900 Euros (equivalent to $48,000 CAD, $38,000 USD), the Vandenbrink Carver is far from cheap, but one must account for the

The Carver complies with all mandated emissions and safety regulations, just like other small-volume production vehicles. (Photo: Vandenbrink)

ingenious design, the complex components of the DVC system and the fact that it's completely hand built. Standard equipment on all Carvers is generous and includes power front windows, a removable roof, light alloy wheels, metallic paint, a choice of leather or Alcantara-trimmed seats, CD audio system, adjustable front suspension and a pressure boost gauge.

So is it a car or a bike? According to European Union regulations, the vehicle is classified and registered as a car, and can be driven with a regular automobile driver's license. Like all other automobiles on sale, the Carver complies with all mandated emissions and safety regulations, just like other small-volume production vehicles.

Will we ever see the Carver in Canada? It's highly doubtful, simply because it's just too odd for our tastes. That's a great shame because this quirky machine is the best compromise between car and bike without the excess mass and consumption, or having to don a helmet and riding leathers.