In India, southeast Asia and Far Cry 4, the three-wheeled rickshaw taxis known as “Tuk Tuks” are considered as perfectly normal means of conveyance. As far as I’m concerned, it looks like a damn deathtrap. And a lot of fun.
CarThrottle’s Alex admits he has an unreasonable obsessions with Tuk Tuks in this video, inspiring him to hit up his local importer. Not sure we have one of those here in the U.S., but apparently there’s enough of a market in England to make these things road legal. Despite, as Alex points out, the vehicle’s lack of seat belts or the ability to beat 50 mph.
Some Tuk Tuks might be a little quicker than the one you see in action here. Some are actually fully electric.
Looks like this machine has pretty similar controls to a motorcycle, with the clutch on a left-hand lever and the throttle as a twist on the right side. I know at least some of these run a small (700-ish cc) three-cylinder engine, but I have a feeling there’s a lot of variation and randomness from one to the next.
Alex really makes the most of his time with the Tuk Tuk, attempting to top it out on the highway, playing taxi driver with some passengers, cramming it between signposts and getting a wheel off the ground.
Watching this really makes me want a ride. Or maybe even make a few donut attempts. At least if I roll it over, it looks light enough to tip-back—if I don’t fall out and break my neck.