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CompositesWorld.com 33 NEWS N E W S N S N E W S E N W S W Classic Curves for Bespoke Beauty RPMs, and thus, with greatly reduced fuel consumption; alter- natively, it ofers extraordinary performance at ordinary RPMs/ fuel consumption (for more, see "Torque-multiplication: A Euro 7-ready diesel supercar?"). Trident's potential military vehicle customers, then, would fnd that, compared to a Humvee or High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) armored troop carrier from AM General (South Bend, IN, US), which burns fuel at a rate of 34L/100 km on a good day, a Trident military vehicle would deliver fuel ratings of 6-8L/100 km — a big savings for armies or rescue organizations that must carry all their fuel as they move. Although their ambition is to be far more than a car company, the partners felt it would be most expedient to showcase their technology on a high-end, two-seat sports car. Tus on display, the Trident powerplant — a modifed V8 Duramax diesel engine from General Motors Co. (GM, Detroit, MI, US) — using the Convertible or fastback There currently are two basic Iceni models available: the convertible (top) with a unique central spine/roll bar for protection, and the fastback-style Magna (bottom) with a full roll cage. But both can be ordered plain or dressed out from four upgrade packages, three engine options, and nearly any interior and exterior color combination. Source (both photos) | Trident Sports Cars Ltd. SIDE STORY Trident Sports Cars Ltd.'s Iceni chassis is formed from 4003 low- chrome/low-carbon stainless steel, supplied by Columbus Stainless (Pty.) Ltd. (Middelburg, South Africa). It isn't pretty (see photo), says Trident's Phil Bevan, but it won't rust (the frame is warranted for a century), and more importantly, it's very resilient (won't workharden), making it perfect, he says, for chassis construction. That means the Iceni has the highest torsional rigidity of any sports car not using a carbon fber composite chassis, which, in turn, reportedly means that in a head-on crash at 161 kmh, the engine won't land in the driver's lap. Because it won't workharden, damaged stainless steel can be reworked nearly endlessly without losing its properties and becoming brittle, yet it's fully recyclable. The Iceni's chassis is not, however, a conventional tubular frame. Chassis components are laser cut from sheet metal, then folded via an industrial-origami technique and then TIG (tungsten inert gas) welded. This "disruptive" technology enables startup or established automakers to enter new segments with a much smaller upfront investment, making it ideal for low-volume vehicles. Bevan says the Iceni is the same size as the Aston Martin DB9 luxury sedan with an aluminum chassis (from Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd., Gaydon, UK), yet is one-third stronger, 24 kg lighter and reportedly far more easily repaired. The Iceni convertible's chassis includes a central, longitudinal spine/ rollover bar, and strategically positioned folds and shapes (further benefts of an origami vs. tubular frame) that enable the vehicle to form a strong passenger cell. This cage not only provides excellent occupant crash protection, but also is designed to prevent anything from penetrating the bulkhead. The mid-front-mounted engine is designed to drop down and become wedged in the tunnel during a crash, and even the crankshaft pulley stays around the car's wheelbase. The vehicle also sports 8-cm-wide seatbelts with strong anchorage points. Reportedly, when the car was tested, it had the strongest chassis ever assessed for seatbelt retention. Chassis: Unique architecture and materials Stainless-steel, origami-style chassis Trident elected not to use the tubular steel "space frame" concept common in high-end performance car design and went, instead, for a chassis cut from sheet stainless steel, then folded via an industrial- origami technique and welded into shape. Source | Trident Sports Cars Ltd.