We've all heard of the Trident Iceni, right? The diesel sports car that was on, off, then on and sort of disappeared again. Well Trident has now confirmed 'global availability' of the Iceni coupe, as well as a Magna roadster and Venturer shooting brake. For £96,000. We'll come back to that.
Roadster one of three models offered...
A quick recap of the Iceni fundamentals though. The engine is a GM Duramax 6.6-litre V8 diesel, usually found up front in a Silverado or some such US truck. It's a brute of an engine, perhaps not one typically suited to a lithe sports car. As standard it makes 400hp and 700lb ft in the Iceni (no rpm figures come with those, they will presumably be fairly low) with a range of option packs that can take power up to 660hp if necessary. Does this sound a little like the MG SV?
With a six-speed automatic, Trident claims a 0-62mph time of 3.7 seconds and a top speed of over 190mph. Alcon discs provide the stopping power, with 400mm discs at the front, 380mm at the rear and six-piston calipers all round. Suspension features Pro Flex dampers and Eibach springs.
... as well as Magna coupe...
You'll recall Trident claimed a 2,000-mile range for the Iceni, augmented by gearing that enabled a 980rpm 70mph cruise. Which is all very worthy, but is it actually what buyers spending £100K on a sports car want? Is economy a primary concern?
Moreover, for eco-conscious buyers the BMW i8 will surely be hard to ignore. The Iceni's styling isn't bad, in fact it looks far more resolved as a coupe than roadster, but it wants for showroom appeal against the BMW. That off-the-shelf diesel is hardly the last word in glamour either, and we'd hazard a guess that the engine is an important deciding factor for many buyers. See the response to the F-Type's sonic theatre, for example. The economy does give the Iceni a USP, and the engine is massively tuneable (a £31K track pack reputedly ups power to 660hp and 1,050lb ft among other benefits) but it still seems a gamble on an expensive sports car.
... and Venturer shooting brake. All £96K
Of course the proof will be in the driving. Will that heavy engine dominate for all the wrong reasons? Trident claims a waiting list for the production models which hopefully means a press drive can't be far off either. With prototypes having been tested for eight years now, it will surely be a relief to finally put the car on sale. The question remains though, is the Iceni the sports car of the future or something that perhaps looks old tech already?