2020 Vanderhall Carmel Drive Review: More Refined, More Expensive
Bigger, more powerful and more expensive, the toughest competition facing the Vanderhall Carmel comes from within its own ranks.
There are few things on the road that drive like a Vanderhall, or get quite as much attention for that matter. However, for those more initiated with the Utah-based brand, and their vehicles, like the Vanderhall Venice, the latest 2020 Carmel might seem very similar, except where it isn’t.
While all Vanderhall models have the same basic shape, akin to a steampunk bathtub on wheels hotrod envisioned by a mad scientist in the 1930’s, Carmel is a bit different. Visually, it appears much larger than the more lithe Venice or Venice Speedster, and that is because it is. Now more reminiscent of a boat’s hull, Carmel is some eight inches wider in the middle, which allows for more generous interior volume for its two occupants.
That wider cabin is resplendent, and adorned with some Vanderhall trademark items, including the wood-rimmed steering wheel with the yellow Vanderhall horn button, a leather wrapped dash, heated leather seats, bluetooth audio and a series of Vanderhall branded instrumentation in the dash, all offset by aluminum switchgear and aluminum kickplates. It’s the most upscale Vanderhall cabin to date, and notably more refined than the hard-edged Polaris Slingshot, of which it competes against in the three-wheeled, premium autocycle segment. Naturally, with a niche as niche as this one, the list of competitors is short.
Carmel is better compared, again, with it’s own family members. Instead of the 1.4-liter turbo-four cylinder found under the clamshell hood of Venice, the Vanderhall Carmel features a 1.5-liter turbo-four, also sourced from General Motors. It produces 194 horsepower and 203 lb-ft of torque thanks to Vanderhall’s own intercooler, charge piping and exhaust setup. Those side pipes dole out a venomous rasp, as charismatic as any other Vanderhall before it.
Like the Venice, the riotous little four-pot remains exclusively paired to a 6-speed automatic transmission, also from GM, and, like the Venice, it is the only notable detraction from the hilarious fun offered by Carmel. While the auto box is quick on the upshift, it does occasionally take a second to gather its thoughts before allowing for a downshift. This secondary slurring of cogs is exacerbated by the loud pipes, which gurgle, pop and bang all the while. As eager as the maniacal little engine is, it can only do so much when hampered by the transmission.
The over-eager engine is well paired with the light body and clever suspension. While Carmel is large by Vanderhall standards, it still only weighs 1,595 pounds, which means that it can knock out the 0-60 mph sprint in well under five seconds.
Crucially, Vanderhalls send their power to the front wheels, which should be a recipe for torque steer, with the drive wheels tugging the steering wheel left and right as they scramble for traction, but that isn’t really the case with the Vanderhall.
Carmel utilizes a double wishbone front suspension, which is excellent for traction and cornering grip, but often presents a packaging issue, as it takes up a lot of space compared to a simpler spring and strut combo. Not with a Vanderhall, however, as the company created a cantilever spring and shock solution that actually allows the the shock and spring to be tucked in under the bodywork. This trick front end is paired with a motorcycle style single-sided rear swing arm, which locates the rear wheel.
ALSO SEE: 2019 Vanderhall Venice Speedster: Simplify and Add Lightness
To simplify, it all works brilliantly, with the Carmel offering tenacious cornering grip and handling prowess. Because it is front-wheel drive, the Vanderhall gives quite a lot of driver confidence from behind the wheel as it is more difficult to spin out or lose control than the rear-drive Slingshot, for example.
The Vanderhall Carmel feels like the most well-polished model from the company yet, however, it comes with the price tag to match as it is very easy to tick a few options boxes and have a $40,000+ Carmel sitting in your driveway, which a lot for a weekend toy. As a date night cruiser and boulevardier, Vanderhall has hit the head on the nail with Carmel, but for the more enthusiastic drivers, consider the smaller, less expensive Venice Speedster, instead.
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