Every day, I am finding myself more and more impressed with how far cars have come over the years. You can look at fuel economy, driving aids such as driver assist (thanks Tesla), backup cameras, comfort, safety, the list goes on. However, throughout car history, there have been some slip-ups so to speak. These are cars that make that red spot on the forehead bigger after slapping it so many times. Let’s take a look at some of them.
5. The Reliant Robin.
If you Google “Reliant Robin,” the first result will be images of this car. If your stomach can take it, the next result will be the Wikipedia page. This will give you all the general information, such as how it began production in the '70s and that it was liked for its good gas mileage during a fuel crisis and the fact that one only needed a motorcycle license to drive one. The third result demonstrates the whoops aspect of this car. It’s a video of BBC’s "Top Gear" Jeremy Clarkson, rolling sideways in this very car. And that’s the crux of this whole car. Let’s be real. This car has the driving characteristics of a wheelbarrow. The moral of the story? Let tricycles be tricycles and cars be cars.
4. BAC Mono (and in essence all “track cars”).
OK, don’t get me wrong, if I had $40,000 just laying around on my bedroom floor, it would be very tempting to pick up a car (if you can call it that) like one of these. But as their name implies, track cars are meant for, well, the track. And yes, they are engineering marvels when it comes to that. They give an amazing driving experience in this context. But 40 grand for a car that can really only be driven a couple times a year, with no roof, no airbags...are you starting to see my point?
3. BMW X6.
_xDrive35d_wagon_(2011-11-04).jpg)
What is this? Someone please help me to understand. Clearly blue-sky thinking isn’t always the best way to approach a problem. Always check with your doctor before using any prescribed medication. Look, the point is, crossovers never look good. I’m sorry, make up your mind, are you a sedan or an SUV? You can’t be both.
2. BMW Isetta.
Feel free to call this car “cute” because I would probably agree with you. Fun fact, its nickname was “the bubble car.” One problem: the only door was on the front of the car, so God forbid you pull into a parking space facing a wall. Oh, and to make your day worse, there’s no reverse gear. Have fun.
1. Any truck with a lift kit.
I’m a lover of country music, but every time I hear about one of these monstrosities in a Luke Bryan song, I want to slam my face into the dash. Look, putting all the compensation jokes to the side for a second, what really sets me off is that those who modify their trucks in this way actually make the truck worse. A truck is a tool. It is meant for work, OK? I have no problem with putting cooler rims on it or something like that but lifting it is a style that I can’t justify. I won’t explain the entirety of the physics behind it but in essence if you wanted to tow something (you know, actually use the truck), you would be towing it at a higher angle meaning you limit how much your truck can actually pull. If you like lift kits, all the power to you. If you want to look like a smaller version of a monster truck, go nuts. This is all one guy’s opinion after all.
