CompositesWorld

JUL 2015

CompositesWorld

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39 CompositesWorld.com NEWS N E W S N S N E W S E N W S W is important, panels are both bonded and riveted in place. Bevan acknowledges there are faster ways to make autobody panels, but points out that hand layup supports more employment in the Norfolk area. "Besides, if we sprayed our material, we'd be resin rich, and that would tend to crack more," he adds. "We're very careful not to use too much resin. Plus, hand layup gives us a chance to do things more like a GT3 [Cup Grand Touring] race car." Te resulting Iceni isn't just beautiful to look at and green to drive, it's also a force on the track. Last year, the car prac- ticed against British and Italian super- cars at the UK's Silverstone race track (Towcester, Northhamptonshire, UK) and did quite well, and this year it has already out-clocked a McLaren P41 GT Cup car (McLaren Automotive, Woking, Surrey, UK), driving the whole two hours on 52L of fuel, without a single pit stop to refll — what Bevan calls "very grownup, respon- sible racing." A signifcant aspect of that maturity is the car's zero (net) carbon foot- print, a beneft of its capacity for burning bio-diesel fuel (see the Side Story titled "Torque-multiplication: A Euro 7-ready diesel supercar?" on p. 36). What's next? Trident Motors ofcially rolled out the Iceni convertible and Iceni Magna late this spring and started taking orders and building vehicles. Te manufacturer's suggested retail price for either model starts at ₤96,000/US$148,500. An "estate" model (sedan with extended roof ) called the Iceni Venturer, was set for summer, and a true rear-wheel-drive supercar to compete with the aforementioned Roman invaders is planned for fall. Meanwhile, Trident is working on prototype military vehicles for the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Next year, the company plans to begin Read this article online | short.compositesworld.com/Iceni producing left-hand-drive Icenis in Moraine, OH, US for the North American market. For those who love to drive (fast) and love the planet, there's fnally one car in which a driver can fnd power, performance and fuel economy in a sleek, substantial composite package in almost any color ... something Henry Ford, Sr. couldn't have anticipated. Contributing writer Peggy Malnati covers the automotive and infrastructure beats for CW and provides communications services for plastics- and composites-industry clients. peggy@compositesworld.com Classic Curves for Bespoke Beauty

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