Trident Iceni: the supercar that *almost* made it

A cursory web search reveals Trident has been “almost ready” to start selling cars since the early Noughties. Bought out in 2005, the last press release it issued touted the imminent availability of the Iceni, but that was almost three years ago, and we could find no evidence of any cars having been delivered to customers. So, fully expecting the company to have folded, we called the number on Trident’s website, which looks as though it hasn’t been updated since 2006. And to our surprise the phone was in fact answered. Two days later, an email from man-in-charge Phil Bevan lands in my inbox.

“The main delay has been funding,” says Phil, “as it’s still done in-house with no bank borrowings”. He says the company has had demonstrators for three years, and that the “many potential customers” who’ve driven them “were very impressed with the performance”.

Last we heard of the Iceni, it was being heralded as the “world’s fastest and most fuel-efficient diesel sports car”. A loping GT with a claimed range of 2,000 miles, “torque multiplication” technology that supposedly allows the engine to spin at less than 1,000rpm at a constant 70mph and a big boot.

Phil says the torque multiplication tech is “being used in a new, very exciting project that has taken most of our time”, but that production of the Iceni will nonetheless commence this year.

“Because of the VW Dieselgate debacle we have had to bring forward our ‘on demand’ hydrogen injection system,” he says. “We now have no particulate matter produced on ramp up from tickover to our operating window of engine efficiency.” Should buyers prefer, Phil says they can specify a petrol. Automatic and manual transmissions will be available, as will left- or right-hand drive and three body styles.

So the Iceni might actually happen. Phil sounds confident. If it’s as clever as we’ve been led to believe, this is Good News.

Years active: 2005 onwards (under Bevan)
Number produced: N/A
Cost new: £96,000 (2014)
USP: “World’s fastest and most fuel efficient sports car”
Power claims: 660bhp, 1047lb ft
Performance claims: 0–62mph in less than 3.0secs, 190+mph max
Reason for failure: Hold your horses...
Chance of resuscitation: Fingers crossed