Sunbeam Tiger The Sunbeam Tiger concept was conceived by Ryan Skelley during his final year on Coventry University\'s Transportation Design course, The lightweight, strictly two seat design is intended to act as a spiritual successor to the Sunbeam Tiger which captured the land speed record .
Powering the Sunbeam Tiger concept is an electric drivetrain which uses a lithium-titanate battery pack. Lithium-titanate batteries have the advantage of requiring less time to charge than lithium-ion batteries. With this proposed powertrain Skelley envisages a theoretical 0-60 mph sprint time of 2.3 seconds and an electronically limited 160 mph top speed. On a full charge, which would take around 4 hours with the optional 3-phase charger, the Sunbeam Tiger concept would have a maximum range of 800 miles. While these numbers may at first seem optimistic, the Tiger concept has been designed for the year 2025 (to coincide with the 100 year anniversary of the land speed record), and with the current pace of innovation in the field of batteries and motors performance such as this is not that far away.
The proposed materials used in the construction of the Sunbeam Tiger concept include a number of eco-friendly and recycled components. The tubular chassis is formed using recycled aluminium and features integrated roll over protection for the occupants. The eco-painted body panels are made from hemp-fibre and vegetable oil resin. The interior features soy foam seats covered in natural bio-fabric. Even the tires and brakes are made using green materials - cornstarch for the tires and natural fibre for the brake pads.