April 17, 2009 The 1925 Sunbeam Tiger was a supercharged V12 four-liter racing car, driven by Sir Henry Segrave at 145 mph (233 km/h) and was the smallest-engined car ever to hold the world land speed record. The Sunbeam Tiger electric sports car concept has been designed to "virtually" commemorate the 100th anniversary (1925-2025) of the Tiger's land speed record win. The Tiger concept car is powered by a Siemens 3 phase AC motor powering the rear wheels with a 26 kilowatt/hour lithium-titanate battery pack and has a curb weight of 600kg (1323lb).

The Sunbeam Tiger Concept is based on a tubular space frame chassis made from recycled aluminum, with other environmentally friendly materials used for many components, including vegetable oil resin body panels, soy foam seats covered in biofabric, natural fiber brake pads, eco-paint and cornstarch tires. The roll bars are built directly into the seat frame and the seat frame is built into the chassis for improved safety.

The car has an estimated performance of 0-60 mph in 2.3 seconds, an electronically limited top speed of 160mph and a driving range of about 800 miles between charges. The car's designer, Ryan Skelley, admits that he made a mistake when calculating the distance available on one charge but the saving grace is that this is a concept for 2025 and with the current progression of battery technology, he's sure that range will be achievable.

Paul Evans