Review: Campagna T-Rex
It is not really considered a car, since for driving this, it takes you the motorcycle driving license and it even has only three wheels, however, being seated behind a proper steering wheel, we wanted to devote some space to this unique creation that the auto industry has ever created: the Campagna T-Rex.
The engine is the same of the two-wheeled 1.4cc Kawasaki with 4 cylinders in line and delivers 197 horsepower, the same as a Lotus Elise 111 R, but keep in mind that we are talking about an even lighter “vehicle”! The instrumentation is the same as the motorcycle from which it takes the engine, except for the small and Spartan steering wheel and the tiny shift lever of the sequential six-speed gearbox, through which you’re going to handle this two hundred per hour tricycle. It’s rear wheel drive only on its unique single rear wheel, a 295″ rubber located in the middle of the tail and the whole structure is limited to a bunch of steel tubes with a protective cage in the event of a rollover. The helmet, although would serve little if you decide to swipe your head on the asphalt, it is not even mandatory. Therefore we are talking of about 472kg of mass that can accommodate two people for a incredible fun recipe, also because of the difficulty of bringing the T-Rex to the limit without even a spin.
As mentioned before, the cabin is the same you find while riding the Kawasaki that lends the engine, then you will not have any kind of gadget on the dashboard, but a small plastic lid that includes speedometer, tachometer and a small digital display that will give basic information of the vehicle itself. The two exhaust pipes are placed just behind the removable top boxes that allow you to bring some spare sweaters for your picnics, or even better a raincoat, just in case to prevent rain, because the windscreen which also figure as an option, and above all there are neither doors or windows. Better you fasten your seatbelt so as not to risk ending up “on the floor” taking a corner with four wheels in mind.
Let’s talk about performance: a featherweight like that with so many horses will definitely entertain you, even though the actual figures are slightly different from those reported by the optimistic Canadian Company. Torque stands at 157Nm and pushes the Campagna T-Rex from 0 to 100 kph in just 4.1 seconds, reaching a top speed of 230 kph. Although the Brand declared the possibility of reaching 1,3g, the small three wheeler is able to approximately reach 0,9g, mainly because of the wheel less that involves a not so easy handling.
In conclusion, this is a rather singular vehicle, that will entertain a lot, perfectly able to give outstanding performance.
Christian Parodi