Ford Ka turned into terrifying ‘Di-wheel’ by enterprising engineers
What could possibly go wrong? Nauseating creation sends drivers spinning
For motorists who want a bit more excitement from their front-wheel drive hatchback, a YouTube channel may have the answer. The Master Milo YouTube channel has taken a sensible Ford Ka and turned it into the terrifying lovechild of a hamster wheel and a rollercoaster.
The channel’s main focus is on turning cheap cars into cheap entertainment, with previous videos seeing the team turn a Ford Ka into a tricycle, pouring molten lead onto a car battery and powering a toy car with a chainsaw motor. The so-called Di-wheel is one of its most ambitious projects yet, though.
The team took a standard Ford Ka, and began by slicing it in half. The front-wheel drive machine was then placed inside a pair of large rollers, with a third set of stabilising wheels fitted to the roof.
The end result sees the Ka’s bones inside what looks like a vast gerbil wheel – capable of forward motion using the car’s controls as normal.
Of course, the Di-wheel isn’t exactly the most easily controllable vehicle around. As with any monowheel designs, acceleration and braking must be applied gently to prevent ‘gerbilling’ – where the interior of the wheel simply spins around rather than translating into forward motion.
Steering is also a difficulty, and on this (let’s call it a ‘prototype’) model, seems to be totally impossible. Most monowheel designs require the driver to lean, but that’s impossible in the Di-wheel thanks to its wide track. Instead, steering this beast would involve driving the two wheels at different speeds – not something that the Ka’s rudimentary drivetrain is capable of.
So, the Di-wheel is unlikely to revolutionise the new car market – especially in its current form. However, as a bit of fun for the YouTubers involved, it certainly seems to have done the trick.
