Meet the Mad Genius Who Does Off-Road Adventures in a Three-Wheel Reliant
Watch it conquer the land.
Like so many cornerstones of modern car culture, the Reliant three-wheelers got their 15 minutes of fame via a Top Gear segment, one that had audiences rolling like the Robin driven by Jeremy Clarkson. In his hands, the simple Reliant proved itself as stable as your average billionaire Twitter addict; a danger to itself and anything else in its immediate proximity. And that was on the road, which means you'd have to be bananas to even consider taking one off the tarmac. Bananas is seemingly the middle name of two-time Red Bull Hardline winner Bernard Kerr, whose evident off-roader of choice is one of these neat three-wheelers.
Kerr has uploaded multiple videos of himself aggressively wheeling his red Reliant through the muddy forests of England, his balance honed on two wheels presumably keeping his Rialto—the Robin's successor—on its three. Again, while these Reliants' questionable wheel configuration makes them prone to rollover on the road, their 65-percent rear-biased weight distribution means their driven rear wheels have ample traction on all terrain, giving potential future Red Bull Tuk It winner Kerr the grip he needs to haul his mountain bikes pretty much anywhere.
Kerr has also treated his YouTube following to an extended showcase of the Reliant's rough-riding chops in a showdown against a second unusual off-roader, his mechanic's Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit. They even engage in a tug-of-war that internet commenters like to pretend is meaningful, with the Reliant predictably coming off worse due to its minimal weight and 850cc, 40-horsepower engine. All in all, though, not a bad showing for the three-wheeler—maybe this will convince Polaris to give its three-wheeled Slingshot a lift so it can chase RZRs down trails.
What else could you need?
Got a tip? Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com
