Yahoo Autos Amsterdam Is The Land Of Weird Motorcycles And Clog-Shaped Boats
I recently got stuck in Amsterdam for two days thanks to the Crowdstrike outage, which gave me a weekend’s worth of time to explore the glorious city. Amsterdam contains 165 canals that total over 60 miles in length, and on the streets that border them you’ll find some of the best carspotting in the entire world. There’s everything from brand new EVs and sports cars to iconic classics and things you’ve never heard of before. Every corner I turned, there was something cool to look at.
Not only that, Amsterdam is home to an incredible variety of mobility solutions of all types prowling the streets. There are all sorts of interesting boats floating through the canals, including some with big greenhouses that you’re meant to hot box, which I’ve gotta try next time I go. You’ll see weird motorcycles and trikes, quadricycles driven by teenagers, amphibious vehicles, floating clogs and more.
The ultimate mobility solution in Amsterdam is the bicycle, but I didn’t bother taking any photos specifically of bicycles because there are just so many, and there’s plenty to be seen in a bunch of my images anyway. Amsterdam has an estimated 881,000 bicycles, which means there are more bikes than people in the city. Bikes rule the streets, seemingly not following any rules of the road as they dart past pedestrians and trains. And no one wears a helmet, which is wild to me. This is all on top of a public transit system made up of buses, above-ground trains and underground subways that make getting around the city even easier.
Anyway, take a stroll through this slideshow to see some of the coolest, most interesting vehicles I spotted while stuck in Amsterdam.
Ariana, What Are You Doing Here?
Starting off strong with this ’80s Chevrolet Caprice wagon that was picking someone up at the airport. I’m dying to know this car’s backstory.
Plugged In
Basically every canal has at least a few EV charging stations, and I saw everything from small electric hatchbacks to large luxury sedans plugged in and charging. Those little Jeep Avengers are so cute!
The Best Tesla
Speaking of EVs, this first-gen Tesla Roadster 2.0 was easily the coolest one I saw on my trip, and I spotted the exact same car on a vacation two years ago in pretty much the same location. These Roadsters are super cool, and it’s hard to think of a better car for this city.
Crossover Convertibles Are Good, Actually
Actually, I can think of a better car for Amsterdam. I love the silly little niche that is the crossover convertible — especially the Range Rover Evoque — and they make a lot of sense in a city like Amsterdam.
Carver? I Hardly Know Her!
One of the coolest vehicles to ever be produced is the Carver, and there are tons of them in Amsterdam (it is a Dutch company, after all). Launched in the late ‘90s, these three-wheeled trikes had a tandem two-seat layout and a body that tilts into turns like a motorcycle would, moving independently from the rear axle that contains the engine and set of rear wheels that always maintain contact with the ground.
Early models used a turbocharged Daihatsu kei car engine, but new Carvers are available with a fully electric powertrain that offers an 80-mile range. I just think these things look so freakin’ cool, especially in motion when you see the body leaning around.
It’s Boat Time
The many boats gliding through the canals are of all different shapes, sizes and types, but my favorites are these long bois that look like something out of James Bond.
My Boat Will Go On
Not the name I would’ve chosen...
What The Clog?
Shockingly, this was not a weed-induced hallucination.
The Cybertruck Could Never
This isn’t a hallucination either. It’s an Amphicruiser, a Toyota Land Cruiser–inspired amphibious vehicle that’s made in Holland and is fully road legal. It comes in SUV, pickup and convertible body styles, and you can get it with a gas V8, a diesel inline-6 or a fully electric powertrain. Starting price is around $180,000.
This Rocks
Speaking of things that are cars I guess but not really exactly, Amsterdam is littered with the Opel Rocks-e, a rebadged version of the Citroën Ami. These ultra-cute quadricycles can be driven by people as young as 15, and I saw ones that were privately owned, used by ride-share companies and owned by businesses. I saw a bunch of hot couples driving around in these looking impossibly chic, and I need one.
Life Goals
To be drinking an Aperol Spritz while sitting next to a Citroën DS wagon parked on a canal... This woman is living the life. Citroën is one of my favorite brands ever (and the DS is my favorite car), and there are plenty of good ones in Amsterdam.
Two-Car Solutions
The close-knit parking spots result in some really fun two-car solutions. Which pairing are you taking? For me it’s the i3 and Phaeton.
Plenty Of Porsches
In terms of sports cars and performance-oriented luxury brands, Porsche seems to be the most common. There are lots of Taycans and plug-in-hybrid Cayennes and Panameras, but still more than enough 911s and other classic Porsches to keep enthusiasts entertained.
Big Bois
Despite the tight and narrow cobblestone streets, there are plenty of large vehicles driving around, from big SUVs to large luxury sedans. I even saw a handful of American pickup trucks! Old Land Rover Defenders and new Range Rovers are an obvious Dutch favorites, as is the Mercedes G-wagen, but I was surprised to see that old Grand Cherokee. The “AIRBAG” badge is pretty funny.
Little Dudes
There are plenty of little cars too, like these super cute Fiat 500s.
Man, I Need One Of These
The Smart Roadster, and more specifically the Roadster Coupe, is one of my favorite designs of the early 2000s, especially in Brabus form like this one. These are almost old enough to import to the U.S., and I think they’d be amazing with a modern EV powertrain swap.
Saving The Best For Last
I know y’all are gonna go crazy for this one. I did too.
