Cars that prove six wheels are better than four… from huge £300k Hennessey VelociRaptor to £40k suave Panther 6
SIX-WHEEL cars have been been appearing on the road for decades – from Formula 1 cars to fire engines.
Most six-wheelers are off-roaders designed for tricky tasks – but luxury brands and race car engineers have also tried their hand at adding an extra pair.
While some six-wheel motors excelled on the road, some never made it off the test track.
Here are ten cars which prove that six wheels are better than four.
Foers Ibex 6×6
Based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, Foex makes purpose-built off-road motors for fire services, foresters and farmers.
Its six-wheel Ibex model is often used by firefighters stationed at airports.
Panther 6
This suave two-seat open-top cruiser was launched in 1977 at the London Motorfair – but only two were ever made.
Priced at £39,950 – nearly £200,000 in today’s money – it was more expensive than a Ferrari 512BB.
Hustler
This strange cuboid motor gave drivers a 360-degree view of their surroundings with its transparent doors.
Designer William Towns teamed up with British car maker Jensen Motors to make the motor, which was sold as an assembly kit from his home in Gloucestershire.
Drivers got into the car by opening its sliding windows and stepping in.
Williams FW07D
This six-wheel Formula 1 car raced ahead of its rivals during testing – before bosses banned it from the track.
F1 bosses decided that the four-wheel drive race car’s ability to accelerate without wheelspin from a standing start gave it an unfair advantage.
They also feared that slotting dry tyres on its rearmost axle would give it an edge in wet weather.
Tyrrell P34
Another six-wheel Formula 1 car, the Tyrell P34 raced in the 1976 Spanish Grand Prix with two front axles.
Designed in top-secret conditions by Derek Gardner, it used special 10-inch Goodyear tyres.
The model won a one-two win by the time of its fourth race, but was retired the following season.
Citroën CX Loadrunner
Citroën made this elongated motor to deliver newspapers overnight at high speeds.
Faster than an HGV, it was popular in France and Belgium during the 1970s.
But as print newspaper circulations slumped, demand for this curious motor also fell off.
Kahn Defender Flying Huntsman
Priced at £250,000, this Land Rover-powered motor is built by British custom car maker Kahn Design.
The Mail reports that it is six inches wider and 47 inches longer than the four-wheel motor to accommodate its back tyres.
Dodge T-Rex
Dodge’s test vehicle boasted six wheels and roared like the dinosaur it was named after – but never reached the commercial market.
Hennessey VelociRaptor
This modified Ford VelociRaptor comes with 20-inch wheels, off-road suspension, extra lights and bull bars.
The monster six-wheel motor comes with a whopping £312,000 price tag.
Last year Hennessey also launched the Mammoth 1000 6X6 TRX, which also has six wheels and is the length of a yacht.
The seven-metre-long Mammoth comes with a 1,012bhp 6.2-litre V8 engine, 20-inch wheels encased in 37-inch off-road tyres.
But only 12 of the juggernauts will be produced each year, at a price of £360,000.
Mercedes G63 AMG 6×6
Mercedes’ six-wheel conversion of its G63 AMG stands 11 inches taller than the original, with huge 37-inch wheels.
Built to handle the most difficult terrains, it comes with five different locks – and a hefty starting price of £350,000.