This is the Triumph TR25 - and it’s a concept that could signal the rebirth of one very special name in British motoring.
The history of the Triumph Motor Company is a long and sometimes tortuous one.
Triumph, then headquartered in Coventry, started making cars in the 1920s and went on to produce iconic roadsters like the TR3 and later the Spitfire.
Things went belly-up in the 1930s, when the Triumph name was acquired by the Standard Motor Company, and Triumph ultimately passed to British Leyland in the 1960s before being mothballed completely in the Eighties.
But what you might not realise is that BMW are the current owners of the Triumph marque, having bought the rights from the Rover Group in 1984.
And now BMW and London-based automotive design house Makkina have collaborated to create the new fully electric TR25.
The eye-catching TR25 pays homage to the record-breaking ‘Jabbeke’ Triumph TR2, which broke the land speed record for production cars - with an engine under two litres - in May 1953.
There are trademark, Triumph-style ‘bugeye’ headlights at the front and while it looks like a single-seater, there’s an optional flip-out berth for passengers.
Powering the TR25 is a battery and electric motor taken from the BMW i3S, with the little Beemer packing power of 181 hp and having a 6.9 second 0-62 mph acceleration time.
A Makkina spokesperson says: “Using an all-electric BMW i3S as a platform, Makkina has been able to give the TR25 a near 50-50 weight distribution, allowing it to corner as a true sports car should. Coupled with a low centre of gravity and compact proportions, the i3S serves as the perfect foundation for Makkina to develop the next chapter in British sports car history.”
Director at Makkina, Michael Ani, adds: “We’re proud of the way we have revitalised the Triumph [Motor Company] name and thank our friends BMW Group for allowing us the honour to badge a car that not only celebrates our company’s [Makkina’s] 25th anniversary but also 70 years of the ‘Jabbeke’ TR2 record run and 100 years of this iconic marque.”
We’ve no idea just yet if the Triumph TR25 will ever see production, but we know another electric roadster steeped in British heritage that will…
Yep, the MG Cyberster (below) is expected to arrive in the summer of 2024, and should make for a tantalising lease prospect indeed.
We'll update you on both Triumph and the MG as and when we can.
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