Some manufacturers may wonder who came up with the great idea of inventing cars that had only four wheels and who came up with standard wheel sizes. While we may not know explicitly who was responsible for the four-wheel concept, it is clearly the best practice to produce cars that have four wheels.

For engineering purposes, four wheels help to give balance, although weightier vehicles may have twin rear wheels or smaller supporting wheels in between the main ones to help transport and carry cargo. It is still not too common to see cars with more than four wheels. But it is common to see donk cars or even monster cars with ridiculously huge wheels that just look out of place.

This article will examine 16 cars with the strangest wheels ever caught on camera. By strange wheels, we mean these wheels are definitely not what we would see or expect to see when we’re taking a relaxing drive on a Sunday morning. Some of these cars are ridiculously tricked-out, lifted as high as they can go, or riding on wheels that almost certainly can't be expected to be safe.

Some, on the other hand, are futuristic concepts revealing the progression of engineering and technology, so much so that they almost don’t even have wheels on them at all, which is pretty futuristic and takes us straight back to The Jetsons cartoons. This list is in no way exhaustive, but the pictures of these cars and their wild wheels are pretty cool.

16 Seriously Decked Out

We don’t like this car too much, but it's probably one of the oldest cars on this list to be modified, though the result is unpleasant. The wheels on this vehicle are disgusting and it’s disturbing that we can see the rusting underbody of the car. While there are benefits to having big wheels—such as being able to see the underlying mechanicals of the car—this one, like others with big monster wheels, is definitely not the safest to drive. Further, why would anyone want to modify a car that is more than 20 years old? People do a lot of crazy things with their property, but this is just a crying shame.

15 Tyrell P34

We have seen several pretty wild car configurations on the race tracks, but what we have not really seen too much of is strange wheel configurations being used on the track. Well, thanks to the Tyrell P34, we are blessed with a bit of comedy and eye candy mixed together in one package. The Tyrell has six wheels!

It’s a bit weird to see a car that has four small wheels up front and two larger ones behind.

Well, the smaller wheels were intended to create less drag for the car and more brake-disc area. This car was a racer in the 1970s and was one of the wildest cars to hit the F1 circuit.

14 Ford F-350 on Mattracks

We’re living in an age of severe climate change and the world is increasingly seeing the visible effects of global warming, especially each winter. Winters seem to be getting worse instead of better.

So instead of getting snow tires installed on your pickup, why not consider getting Mattracks?

They are perfect, especially after a heavy snowfall when the roads are impassable. It may be a bit of an overkill, though. After all, why install Mattracks when you can just enjoy a snow day with your family? Maybe going out in the snow would be a bit of an exciting outing for you and your entire family.

13 Three-Wheeled Citroen

Okay, so the manufacturer didn’t sell the car like this, it just happened that the driver of this car probably didn’t have a full-sized spare tire, or a spare in the boot of his car so he just drove the car as is with its three functioning wheels. In this era, we are not as fortunate to have a proxy can of tire foam that we can use to hitch up a wheel. Maybe now it would be a lifesaver, but I don’t think anyone in this generation is brave enough to dare the impossible task of driving a car that doesn’t have an even number of wheels, even if it is a Citroen with their legendary oleo-pneumatic, self-leveling suspension.

12 Eliica

It seems as if car designs just get a bit more ridiculous as the years progress. As if six wheels weren’t enough, Keio University in Japan created this eight-wheeled electric concept car that they hoped to put into production.

This car would have cost a fortune, but at least it would have been a chance to enjoy ‘clean’ driving.

The Eliica is just as long and big as a limousine and it is rumored that the car is faster than Porsche’s 911, and that it outran the car in a test drive. Despite it being a big car, it could only seat four, which was a bit impractical and not really useful as a selling point, either.

11 Five-wheeler

The last thing you would expect in a vehicle, especially a car, is an odd number of wheels to carry its body. If you ever need a parking aid, then you may need to consider getting yourself a car with five wheels. In the 50s, the Packard Cavalier solved the problem of parking larger vehicles in tight spaces by installing a spare wheel at the rear that used power from the drive shaft to help the car turn on its own length. This is an interesting thought and a really ingenious idea and could even be very useful on the huge SUVs of today. But cars nowadays are easier to maneuver, so the wheel would probably be unnecessary.

10 Smart Car

If we’re talking about putting square pegs in round holes, then we need to talk about this Smart Car with its ridiculously large wheels. And yet, they somewhat match with the rest of the car! We’re all for Smart Cars, but we prefer when they are cute and nearer to the ground so that we can get out of them easily.

The massive wheels on this one just make the car super awkward to look at, and the car is otherwise basically an awesome car in its standard configuration.

The only plus side of this decked-out Smart Car that we can appreciate is that it is fuel efficient and its carbon footprint would be minimal—at least, compared to other Monster Trucks.

9 Morgan 3-Wheeler

It seems as if some car manufacturers never thought about making cars with four wheels, or even if they did, they probably just didn’t care. While this carmaker didn’t think about making four-wheeled cars until the 1930s, its three-wheel inventions seem to be very popular these days. We’re not exactly sure why, though. Sure, the car is cool, but it is an eye-sore that is only practical in sunny weather. You definitely don’t want to use this car when it’s rainy because it has no roof to provide cover. It is, however, a good car for two lovers or friends to go for a ride in.

8 Fiat Monster Truck (Or Car?)

We’re a bit confused as to whether this vehicle is a legit Monster Truck, or a car modified to look like a monster truck. Whatever it is, it is pretty creepy because the Fiat has a really small body, and its wheels are awkwardly proportioned to the size of its body.

Let’s face it, climbing up into that vehicle is going to be a bit difficult and potentially uncomfortable.

Unlike some other cars on this list with weird or massive wheels, this car has four doors and can seat five people—but finding five people willing to make the climb to get in will doubtlessly be quite a challenge.

7 Vauxhall Villiers

This car may seem a bit extreme, but in its time, it probably was one of the hottest cars on the market. The tires of this car look to have little more than the girth of a dinner plate, but the manufacturer improved the car by giving it twin rear wheels in a setup almost like today's dually pickup trucks.

It’s not the only six-wheeled car on the list, but thus far, it is the only six-wheeler with twin rear wheels.

Unfortunately, this car can only accommodate the driver, so there is no company allowed, and you can’t ask to go for a drive unless of course, you know how to manage such an old-fashioned vehicle.

6 UK 1909

Electric vehicles are the future, and increasingly, they are the present. However, the UK1909 EV from Morgan Motor stands out a bit more than its competitors because of its unique look. The vehicle is a three-wheeled one, a bit of a car-like tricycle. However, the model accurately reflects the company’s first three-wheeler that came on the market in 1909. That’s more than 100 years ago, showing that Morgan Motors is going back to its roots to find inspiration for the future. If you get yourself this car, you should know that the manufacturer’s intention was to create a little fun and excitement. If you’re hoping for practicality, this is not the car for you.

5 Panther Six

Another weird car that also has six wheels is the Panther Six. Maybe Robert Jankl, owner and manufacturer of the Panther, was inspired by the genius of the Tyrell and decided to make his own six-wheel car.

This car was made in the same year as the Tyrell, in fact, and it was claimed that the car could reach a top speed of 200 mph.

The price of this car was just as ludicrous as its design, however. The cost of this car could put several luxury cars in your garage, instead of just the one. Unfortunately, the Panther was a bust and disappointment.

4 Tron Light Cycle

This motorcycle doesn’t look road-legal with its low riding positions and light-up wheels. It seems as if this cycle was taken straight out of an arcade or movie. The wheels are too big, so it may not be something that regular riders would be comfortable riding, either. The bike was featured in the movie Tron, in fact, but somehow, the Parker Brothers were able to secure a roadworthy version of it. If you have $55,000 lying around and you don’t mind getting yourself a motorbike with florescent-lighted tires, then you can consider purchasing this bike, though actually riding it on the streets might attract unwanted attention.

3 Peel P50

The Peel P50 is the vehicle that Jeremy Clarkson used to drive around the BBC offices on Top Gear. The Peel is actually (and surprisingly) road-legal in the UK and is the smallest car to have ever gone from being a concept to a real production vehicle.

This one was sold between 1962 and 1965 and is the best car you can use to drive around in the city, as it is only 54 inches long and 39 inches wide.

The car is a bit similar to what they drove in the Flintstones, though. It lacked a reverse gear and its rear handle allowed it to be physically maneuvered easily. The Peel is a 3 wheeled vehicle, but we rarely get to see its rear wheel, which resides right under the driver's seat.

2 Trike

All throughout this article, we have been joking that three-wheel cars should be given their own names, just like how the tricycle has its own name. Well, the trike is the name of one such vehicle. A trike can either have a bike engine or a car engine, but the vehicle’s weight should determine whether it is classified as a motorbike or as a car rather than just the type of engine. Well, whatever it is, it is definitely a weird looking vehicle with some really weird wheels and perhaps an even stranger setup of exhaust-like bars. To add to the vehicle’s confusion, it may require either a car license or a motorcycle license to drive legally.

1 Audi Hover Car

The Audi hover car is one of the sickest concept cars ever designed. The car—named the Calamaro—takes flying concept cars to another level, with a sleek exterior straight out of the year 2100.

The car was designed by a Hungarian student and is definitely a car for the future.

It looks a bit like a spaceship despite being actually inspired by the bone structure of a cuttlefish. It is a different look for Audi, but concept cars often receive major changes before going into production. We do hope this car comes out for real sometime soon, if just so we can lust after it. However, very few people may be able to afford this vehicle.

Sources: carmagazine.co.uk, cnn.com, and telegraph.co.uk.