The return of the Great British sports car

It's hard not to be sceptical when a new cottage-industry creation makes a claim for the return of the British sports car, says Jonny Smith in The Sunday Times. You can't help wondering whether the thing can ever live up to these claims.

But "things feel different" behind the wheel of the £75,000 Trident Iceni. "Surrounded by two-tone leather and a sculpted dash, you could be fooled into thinking TVR is back from the ashes. It feels like a properly put together car."

But the most remarkable thing about the Trident Iceni is that, despite its supercar performance and looks, the Trident Iceni sips less fuel than the tiny two-seater city car, the Smart Fortwo.

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The car's manufacturer makes many claims for the innovativeness of its product. The stainless steel chassis has "unique central spine rollover protection"; the 6.6-litre, V8 turbodiesel engine gives 375bhp at 3,100rpm; the eight-speed automatic gearbox is in the rear of the car, enabling it to make full use of its huge torque; performance is a massive top speed of 230mph and a 0-60mph time of less than four seconds; and fuel consumption, at a constant 70mph, is a staggering 68.9mpg.

All that, and there's still room for luggage and golf clubs in the boot. It's like that kid at school who claimed his dad was a bare-knuckle fighter, says Top Gear magazine. It seems "that kid has grown up and built his own car".

The car tested by journalists is a pre-production model, but if the final version actually achieves all of this, then "we'll show you a cat with 32 toes. Or we'll just be very impressed". Above all else, says Smith, this machine represents a "fresh approach" to sports car design.

See www.trident-vehicles.co.uk. The firm is now accepting advance orders.