These are the four luxury wheels of the sports car manufacturers
- Lotus Type 136
- 3T Exploro Racemax X Huracán Sterrato from Lamborghini
- Aston Martin .1R
- Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 V15 Road Edition
In one respect, the luxury wheels are similar to their car models: They stand out from other manufacturers in terms of price, in some cases significantly. Although Aston Martin is not talking about the price of its new racing bike, customers are likely to expect to pay a little more than the average price for a racing bike based on the name and exclusivity alone.
At 13,200 euros, the Mercedes racing bike is probably the cheapest in the comparison. The price of €15,000 for the gravel bike from 3T and Lamborghini can only be topped by the e-road bike from Lotus - and that by a considerable margin: €20,000 is required for the limited edition version. Are the luxury bikes worth their price?
The luxury bikes at a glance
Lotus Type 136
The sports car manufacturer Lotus has a long history in cycling and can help with its expertise in aerodynamics. Chris Boardman rode the fastest stage of the Tour de France in the Lotus Type 110 - no-one has yet been able to break this record from 1994. What does the new Type 136 have to offer?
The e-road bike is equipped with high-quality components, including Campagnolo, but will also be manufactured with SRAM components from this year. The drivetrain comes from a rather unknown manufacturer, can shine in some respects and is overtaken by most of the competition in others. Even without the E-component, the Lotus Type 136 fully operational. The aerodynamic design of the sports car manufacturer is characteristic.
3T Exploro Racemax X Huracán Sterrato from Lamborghini
The gravel bike from 3T in collaboration with Lamborghini has also been fitted with high-quality components. The manufacturer advertises the luxury bike as the "world's first aero gravel bike" and, like Lotus, tries to focus on the design. In terms of colour, this resembles the Lamborghini off-road sports car, which was launched on the market together with the gravel bike. The design of the 3T Exploro Racemax X Huracán Sterrato The focus was also on lightweight components that stand out from the competition thanks to the characteristics of the sports car manufacturer.
Aston Martin .1R
In addition to the British sports car manufacturer's best designers, Formula 1 engineers were also involved in the design process for the Aston Martin. The design is minimalist and can be individually configured in a wide range of colours. Overall, the Aston Martin .1R is characterised by an exclusive service, such as an intensive bike fitting, which is included in the price. By also using high-quality components, the manufacturer claims to have designed the most advanced and exclusive racing bike in the world.
Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 V15 Road Edition
Admittedly, Mercedes is not (or no longer) the classic luxury car brand and has a wide range of cars that even the "normal earner" can afford. Nevertheless, the brand still stands for a certain standard and offers the option of spending more money on a car - or even a racing bike - with the AMG models, for example.
The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 V15 is available in an urban and a road version. The latter is more likely to be included in the list of luxury bikes. Every year, the racing bike is presented together with the new Formula 1 team car and has the same goal: to go fast. To achieve this, the design of the bike is aerodynamic. The frame, fork and cockpit are made of carbon, and the customisable Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 V15 also comes with the high-quality SRAM Red groupset. The manufacturer is currently asking 13,200 euros for the luxury racing bike. It will soon be available in the shop.
Lukas Niebuhr
Working student
