Pullman Six-wheeler ... 1906
The granddaddy of all the sixers, this experimental
car also sported the most unusual layout. Pullman was a US maker of luxury cars
between 1905 and 1917. They were moderately successful, though this car was a
total disaster. And for obvious reasons too. Those evenly spaced axels meant it
had the turning circle of a barge. The car crashed into pole within a year of
its construction and was mercifully scrapped.
C6W ... 2004
Designed by Italian company, Corvini engineering,
this rear-wheel drive prototype boasts some impressive bits – a 4.2-litre Audi
V8 engine, a top speed of 295km/h, loads of carbonfibre and, of course, six
wheels. Its rear-wheel drive with those front wheels designed to reduce drag
and “increase air penetration”. The C6W was introduced at the 2004 Geneva Motor
Show and has been “set for commercial production” ever since. Right.
Panther 6 ... 1976-77
This one actually made it into production. Yes.
They made two. The Panther 6 however does deserve some credit… it was actually
a pretty decent automobile. Its British manufacturers claimed it could crack
the 200mph barrier (320km/h) and given its 600bhp twin-turbo 8.0-litre V8, that
was entirely possible. Incidentally, the car also came with such futuristic
gizmos as a phone and a TV. All as standard.
Citroën Cruise Crossser ... 2007
Swiss car designer Franco Sbarro thinks so far out
the box that he and the box are pretty much in different postal codes. Which is
why Citroen asked him to whip up a little something special based on their
production C-Crosser SUV. What he came up with is a six-wheeled hybrid with a
conventional diesel engine supplemented by an electric motor. Yes. Not
Frankie’s finest hour.
Trekol 39294 ... 2012
Also known as the Amazing Floating Car, this
Russian-made monster is, in fact, genuinely amazeballs. When they say it can go
anywhere, they mean anywhere… even water. Thanks to its huge tubeless tyres and
lightweight polystyrene-sandwiched-by-fibreglass body, this 6x6 is not only
road legal, capable of withstanding temperatures from -60 to +60, but it has
the ability to traverse water at a stately 10km/h.
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