200MPH, 100MPG, 2000 mile per tank diesel car: Trident Iceni
But not in America, of course. Just in England for now. It’s supposed to take advantage of some “torque multiplier” techology to crank out 520 lb/ft of torqe at 1800 RPMs. Is it marketing hype, or might their numbers actually be realistic? Discuss in our diesel vehicle forum.
| The new Trident Iceni |
The Trident Iceni is a bespoke two-seater sports car - more exclusive
than prestige cars available now, with innovations throughout. The
configuration of the car is traditional front engine, rear wheel drive
like the latest Aston Martins and Ferraris
The
fully folded stainless steel chassis forms a complete safety cell
around the occupants against front and side impact . With its unique
central spine rollover protection, it has been tested and proven to
have the highest torsional rigidity (17000lb/ft per degree) of any car
tested - it is also guaranteed for life against corrosion.
The
engine is sourced from GM, a 6.6l V8 turbo diesel. Its location,
although in the front, is behind the centre line of the front axle,
making its position more mid-engine than front engine. The power
supplied is in excess of 375 bhp at 3100 rpm, whilst its torque in
excess of 520lb/ft at 1800 rpm gives us an extremely easy car to drive
with low engine speed (maximum 4500 revs) and it will last for up to
250,000 miles.
The most significant innovation lies in the
gearbox which is located in the rear of the car. It’s an 8-speed
automatic, controlled by paddle shifts behind the steering wheel. This
enables the car to make full use of its huge torque by keeping the
engine operating within its peak performance band. Computer
calculations have been made suggesting a top speed of 230 mph, and with
0-60mph in under 4 seconds. A constant 70 mph, gives a recorded fuel
consumption of 68.9 mpg! . Our prototype fuel capacity of 100 litres,
gave a cruising range of approximately 1600 miles, but our production
models new tanks gives us a 2000 mile range!
The front and rear suspension is forged aluminium with power assisted steering.
Further
innovations include a fixed seat position with electrically
adjustable pedal box and steering column and four oculight removable
roof panels.
