VW says no to Defiant Motors: GX3 coffin nailed shut for good
Click image for a gallery of the VW GX3 concept
Back in April, we reported on Defiant Motors' grassroots effort to resurrect the canceled Volkswagen GX3 program. The GX3, you'll remember, is a three-wheeler the German automaker debuted at the 2006 L.A. Auto show. Speculation that the GX3, technically a motorcycle, was on its way to production was fueled by spy photos showing prototypes undergoing testing. In the end, VW nixed the project, citing legal concerns over bringing the vehicle to market in a lawsuit-happy environment.
Enter Defiant Motors, which was formed in the hopes that it could partner with VW to market the GX3 under the Defiant moniker, allowing the startup to handle the task of educating consumers that the GX3 is, in fact, a motorcycle. In an update posted to DefiantMotors.com yesterday, founder Aaron Mady notified visitors that Volkswagen gave Defiant's proposal a full review but decided not to move forward with the effort. This effectively brings a close to the saga of the VW GX3, a vehicle that will likely go down as one of the great concepts to never come to fruition. Kudos to Aaron Mady and his supporters for their efforts to make the GX3 a reality.
[Source: Defiant Motors]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
schlomo 3:57PM (7/03/2007)
well now there's only one VW I would ever buy left - the R32, and I'd probably buy a used Lotus or STi before I went for that.
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Max 4:00PM (7/03/2007)
This was a long-shot at best, but its sad that VW has pulled the plug on such a well received concept. I guess the idea of a "people's car" was lost in translation.
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Barney 7:34PM (7/03/2007)
"I guess the idea of a "people's car" was lost in translation."
I guess it lost translation when people began suing.
Paul Y 4:21PM (7/03/2007)
The GX3 would have been really, really cool.
I'd hope that it (hypothetically, of course), would have been impossible to buy unless you had a motorcycle license, but then again, what do I know? I'm just a blog-commenting pseudo-pundit-wanna-be.
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The FedEx Man 5:30PM (7/03/2007)
"I'd hope that it would have been impossible to buy unless you had a motorcycle license"
Why? It's more like a car - steering wheel, seated position, no leaning etc.
Paul Y 6:58PM (7/03/2007)
Yeah, but in most places, 3 wheels = motorcycle for insurance and licensing purposes. Selling it only to people who can prove they're able to ride a motorcycle would cut out a lot of legal hassles.
...Or so one would think; I'm sure in this country, someone would find a way to sue VW as soon as they did something stupid and ended up paralyzed.
On that note, if VW is afraid of liability issues, why on earth does anyone make and sell motorcycles, or cars for that matter?
why not the LS2/LS7? 10:24PM (7/03/2007)
I have a friend with a motorcycle w/sidecar. It's even more difficult/expensive to insure than a motorcycle.
There was just no market for this thing.
Take the number of Arial Atoms sold and cut it by 2/3rds again. VW is incapable of making a profit off a car that sells that poorly. Perhaps a smaller company could.
Barney 11:52PM (7/03/2007)
"Selling it only to people who can prove they're able to ride a motorcycle would cut out a lot of legal hassles. "
I'm sure if a person having been told they have to prove they can drive, would indeed sue. People can still buy for others and a grandfather wanting to buy a GX3 for his grandson shouldn't have to prove he can drive the thing. No law (as of yet) requires anyone to provide proof they can drive, when buying any vehicle.
Bill E. Goat 4:42PM (7/03/2007)
Don't be fooled, lawyers had nothing to do with this vehicles demise (inside info)
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why not the LS2/LS7? 4:44PM (7/03/2007)
What if authenticity had a radical edge?
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Carl 5:19PM (7/03/2007)
Maybe someone will ripoff the design... China, you listening?
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Breakah 7:36PM (7/03/2007)
I really wanted this vehicle. too bad.
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Ian Bruce 6:50PM (7/03/2007)
If it's any consolation, we're introducing an alternative. We're using the GX3's chief engineer, Chris Norris, on the project:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Owyir3SMr70
http://www.FlyTheRoad.com
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Breakah 7:12PM (7/03/2007)
are you going to be able to un-uglify the carver too? those renderings are still not that impressive.
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mlucas2006 7:30PM (7/03/2007)
For all of you wishing VW would stop pussyfooting around... head on over to www.go-t-rex.com.
You'll be pleasantly surprised.
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