As manufacturers, consumers, and governments try to make performance cars greener, a lot of attention has been paid to plug-in hybrid and battery-electric sports cars. But what about a diesel?
Diesels may routinely win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but they haven’t really been accepted in performance road cars. The British Trident Iceni hopes to buck that trend, adding new body styles to its proposed diesel sports car.
The Iceni was unveiled in 2012 as a convertible, and is now joined by the Iceni Magna fastback and Iceni Venturer shooting brake. Regardless of the body style, the Iceni’s styling is classic sports car. This is no Volkswagen Jetta TDI.
Of course, the main selling point of the Iceni isn’t its styling, but its diesel powertrain. It consists of a turbocharged 6.6-liter V8, connected to a six-speed automatic transmission.
With 395 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque on tap, the Iceni will do 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, and reach a top speed of over 190 mph, according to Trident.
Yet the diesel engine should also make the Iceni incredibly fuel efficient. Trident estimates its cruising range at around 2,000 miles.
Trident is currently taking orders for all three body styles of this best-of-both-worlds sports cars, with prices starting at around 96,000 British pounds (around $161,000 at current exchange rates). While it hasn’t built any cars yet, Trident says the Iceni will be available globally.
