2019 Vanderhall Venice Speedster Review: Simplify and Add Lightness
From the Driver’s Seat
As you would expect from a single-seater, the Venice Speedster is a simple affair. The Saxony Brown interior is a good complementary color to the Silver Vintage Metallic exterior (this is the only configuration available for 2019). The instruments and switch gear are simple and effective, though, they fall into the background as being superfluous. Indeed, like the Venice upon which it’s based, the only things you will routinely be interacting with in the Speedster are the transmission controls (a mini shifter to the right of the seat slides between Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive), the steering wheel and the optional (but really mandatory) bump shifter.
That said, the Speedster does appear to come with leather as standard, as well as features like heated seats and a bluetooth stereo system, which is surprisingly potent for an open air vehicle. For whatever reason, the indicator for the heated seats was broken on this test car, a feature I found out about five minutes after setting off once I wondered what was burning, and realizing that it was me. Those heated seats certainly work well.
The most special piece to the Speedster, in theory, is the tonneau cover that covers the passenger seat delete. I personally think it enhances the overall styling, and adds a key driver’s aide to the experience: not having a passenger. The standard Venice has two seats, and room for about one-and-a-half people, the single-seat Speedster remedies that issue. It also began to buzz, squeak and rattle by midday, especially over any sort of broken pavement, which was annoying.
Can It Handle A Twisty Road?
Yes, rather well, too. Despite being front-drive, the Speedster has a tenacious amount of cling in the corners. Though, don’t forget to turn the traction control off (the button is tucked away in the far-right corner of the interior), as it can be an absolute killjoy.
Unlike something like a Polaris Slingshot, the Venice Speedster has a lot of stability when being pushed hard. Like all things front-wheel drive, it defaults to understeer at the handling limit, but, in the tight canyon roads of Malibu, this is more confidence-inspiring than irksome.
The ride quality is pretty good, too. Vanderhall’s bespoke cantilever front suspension does an admirable job of handling body movements and wheel control. Out back, that motorcycle swingarm and coil-over suspension, again, designed by Vanderhall, does a good job of handling bumps, which is useful when you only have one wheel back there. Though, it’s worth noting if that single rear wheel hits a rock in the road, or an undulation, that the experience can feel a bit unnerving.
This Speedster has the optional Brembo big brakes up front. With something as light as the Speedster, it’s all the stopping power you will ever need. Though, I’d hazard a guess that even the standard brakes are also completely adequate to stop the sub-1,400-lb Speedster.
The overall package, between tire grip, chassis grip and powertrain performance, feels well-matched, with no one component of the Vanderhall experience feeling overwhelming or overwhelmed when the car is being hustled hard.
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