Trident Unveils 100mpg Iceni

By Ben Whitworth

Motor Industry

21 August 2008 11:01

Trident’s new Iceni sportscar sounds like a dream machine – the Norfolk-based low volume carmaker claims its two-seater grand tourer can top 200mph, swings with a 550bhp turbo-enhanced punch for a sub-four second sprint to 60mph and can return up to 100mpg for a claimed 2000 mile range on a full tank of fuel! Oh, and did we mention that fuel is biodiesel?

What? That sounds amazing!
Hold your horses there. The Iceni has yet to go into production and after dropping £2.3million into the company, Trident’s founders are looking for financial backing to finally push the Iceni into production. Which means the Iceni’s £75,000 asking price will funds further development of the car, primarily because Trident’s requests for government funding have been met with silence. According to Trident Boss Phil Bevan, the company already has 500 interested parties in the car. And we have to admit, a big diesel-powered GT with excellent economy and range isn’t without appeal.

On come on - are those figures for real?
They do suggest a large pinch of salt should be suitable close at hand, but Bevan claims his figures are entirely realistic. “At 70mph, the engine is turning over at just 980rpm and in a mix of urban, A-road and motorway driving 85mpg is easily achievable,” he explains. Trident itself has some credence, too – it’s been around for some time, making its public debut a decade ago at the British motor show and has produced a small number of traditional petrol-powered versions of its coupe.

By Ben Whitworth