You're either going to love it or hate and whilst I don't love it or hate, I'll gladly take the title of being a hypocrite or coming across as contradictory for stating that I do like it and fully accept the fact, I'm probably in the minority here. For whatever reason, I think its a very attractive design but having said that I think the Optare Metrodecker is also a decent design too...so specsavers may be due a visit!
The quite provocative design was unveiled to us by Bus & Coach buyer on the 30th of October 2014, just days before the much anticipated Bus & Coach Expo in Birmingham, with the announcement that Brighton & Hove would be the first operator operate these machines. The ever reliable magazine informed us the a Go-Ahead Subsidiary Brighton & Hove ordered 24 vehicles. Mounted onto the the Integral Wrightbus Chassis, complete with it's 5 Litre Mercedes engine, the type replaces the DB300 before it albeit with a smaller engine and less torques. Although it remains to be seen how they will overcome to the terrain in Brighton Wrightbus are said to be very confident in the performance of these vehicles, and provide a very detailed account backing up their choice of power.
This face-lifted model sees Wright move away from the rounded 'Nokia' design, to a more sleek and more futuristic looking vehicle, complete with its sharp edges and crevasses which does take some getting used to. The shallow windows, are less apparent and appear to be more fitting with this style of bodywork in comparison to the 'other' Gemini 3. The introduction of this model, sees Wrightbus become the only manufacturer to now produce two bodies for the same chassis simultaneously.
As of March 2015, the first of the new buses are undergoing testing as illustrated above before their expected delivery to Brighton in April 2015.Complete with their leather seating and headrests, it wouldn't be wide of the mark, to suggest these are upmarket models. It would be nice to see some of these land on London's street and hope if the results of this order are positive, it may help to influence the London subsidiary's orders.
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| Brighton & Hove Gemini 3 seen leaving Wrightbus' Ballymena Factory © James Bus Photographs |
This face-lifted model sees Wright move away from the rounded 'Nokia' design, to a more sleek and more futuristic looking vehicle, complete with its sharp edges and crevasses which does take some getting used to. The shallow windows, are less apparent and appear to be more fitting with this style of bodywork in comparison to the 'other' Gemini 3. The introduction of this model, sees Wrightbus become the only manufacturer to now produce two bodies for the same chassis simultaneously.
As of March 2015, the first of the new buses are undergoing testing as illustrated above before their expected delivery to Brighton in April 2015.Complete with their leather seating and headrests, it wouldn't be wide of the mark, to suggest these are upmarket models. It would be nice to see some of these land on London's street and hope if the results of this order are positive, it may help to influence the London subsidiary's orders.
6 Comments:
at: Monday, March 09, 2015 4:20:00 pm said...
They don't look bad! I thought that was Arriva Sapphire for one moment, a nice livery for Brighton & Hove at last. Hopefully these are a bit quicker up the hills than the demonstrator was in a recent YouTube clip. Wright need to take a 'leap of faith' and let go of the old model. I see they've moved the exhaust to the side, as opposed to centre-exiting from the rear like DW411?
Will Metroline buy any to replace the elderly TPs on the E8 in Brentford?
at: Monday, March 09, 2015 9:42:00 pm said...
The 'ever reliable' Buses magazine also said that they were going to be of the old design, not Darth Vader lookylikeys.
And as for that livery ... it's vile. The company is slowly going downhill ... Roger French (the retired MD) must be gutted to see what his successor is doing to one of the country's best operators.
at: Tuesday, March 10, 2015 7:16:00 am said...
Are these for the Brighton to Eastbourne route 12?
at: Thursday, March 12, 2015 12:46:00 am said...
My understanding is that they are.
at: Friday, March 13, 2015 10:28:00 am said...
When I saw the thumbnail I actually thought this was the new Enviro by Alexander Dennis. It looks like they tried to replicate the upper deck front, but failed terribly, creating a cheap and garish looking monstrosity which looks as if it was made during the 1990s. The Metrodecker, however terrible, is a supermodel compared to this.
at: Sunday, March 22, 2015 12:27:00 pm said...
So will this replace the current G3 model (like the ones on the 53 and 7)?
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