2009 Campagna T-Rex 1400R Road Test Video

By Edmunds Video Productions | Published November 19, 2009

3:56 min

Out of the many vehicles Inside Line has tested over the years, the 2009 Campagna T-Rex delivers one of the more unique driving experiences.  The T-Rex offers its driver a glimpse into the world of speed unencumbered by glass, sound insulation and doors. Not to mention frivolities like power steering, power brakes, air conditioning or airbags.

But unique isn��t always a good thing.  This three-wheel motorcycle-based machine definitely gets back to the basics. Problem is, it does so in a way that terrifies as much as it thrills.

First off, the Campagna T-Rex isn't a car. Not according to the Department of Transportation and not according to anyone's definition of a car. You need a motorcycle license and a delicate touch to drive it.

Built in Montreal, Canada, the Campagna starts with the liquid-cooled, 1,352cc inline-4 engine of a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 motorcycle, which revs to 11,000 rpm. In fact, most of the bits and pieces from Kawasaki��s 186-mph superbike end up within the T-Rex.

Once the engine is bolted into the chassis, the resulting vehicle weighs 1,125 pounds and produces 197 hp. So, what does that mean at the track?

Well, 0-60 comes up in 4.5 seconds. The quarter-mile comes up in 12.6 seconds at 112.7 mph. That's slower that you'd expect given the T-Rex��s excellent power-to-weight ratio, but even these numbers are not easy to achieve.

Quite simply, the T-Rex is dynamically dissimilar to everything we��ve ever driven before. One false move and things can turn into a boiling mess of smoke and chaos.

The T-Rex��s performance of  0.89g of cornering grip on our skidpad is a far cry from Campagna's estimate of 1.3g �� a disparity perhaps explained by worn tires, but we think it��s largely because there are only three tires to begin with. There's a reason cars have four wheels.

Our slalom run at 67.2 mph gave us the feeling that if we pushed too hard, there'd be no hope in catching the loose rear end.

Away from the track and in the real world, few things can compare to the T-Rex on an empty, two-lane strip of pavement. The wind, the noise, the road zipping by mere inches below your butt. It's like a motorcycle, but with a highly amplified sense of speed.

But on a city street or on the highway, things get scary again. Trucks seem like houses. Tractor trailers are battleships. Road debris can become your own personal guillotine. Visibility is bad front and rear.

Just getting into the T-Rex is an awkward experience. Even those of average height will be required to bend and twist in ways they didn't think were possible.

Then there's the price. At $53,643, the Campagna T-Rex costs about the same as a BMW M3 and way more than any number of fun cars that won't befuddle and frighten you.

Of course, Inside Line is fairly certain that with enough time behind the wheel, a determined driver could make peace with the Campagna T-Rex��s rather unusual dynamics. The T-Rex will never be as quick, capable and controllable as a four-wheel car, but maybe that's the point.