A road-going Caterham sportscar achieved an incredible fuel economy figure of 100 miles per gallon at the Shell Eco-marathon last week. The Caterham 2R produced the remarkably efficient performance during the annual fuel economy challenge at Rockingham Motor Speedway on the 6 and 7 July.
The car was entered into the competition by a team from Cranfield University and Caterham Cars with funding from Motorsport Development UK under its EEMS (Energy Efficient Motorsport) initiative, and was the first road car to compete in recent years.
The Caterham 2R (Record-breaker and Research), whose main modifications included lightweight seating, changes to the bodywork to improve aerodynamic efficiency and the use of low rolling resistance tyres, achieved 100 mpg on its final run at Rockingham Motor Speedway.
Dr Steve Cousins, Caterham 2R project leader, said: "We are delighted with the results. Despite some small modifications, the 2R is a road-going sportscar, and its impressive performance demonstrates that real-world cars can achieve greater fuel efficiency. With a benchmark to aim for, we hope to return next year to produce an even more impressive performance."
EEMS project leader Dr Steve Bunkhall said: "The Shell Eco-marathon is a wonderful event for the pursuit of fuel efficiency. To achieve 100 mpg with a road-legal car is a wonderful result for which the Cranfield team must be congratulated. It proves that, with careful driving and relatively few modifications, lightweight aerodynamic passenger cars can produce vastly improved fuel economy figures. I hope the team's achievement inspires it to further success in the pursuit of increased fuel efficiency."
The lightweight extreme sportscar on which the 2R is based, the Caterham Seven Roadsport SV, is more used to extreme performance figures related to high speeds and incredible acceleration. It is powered by a standard MG Rover 1598cc K-series engine, modified only to incorporate the fuel measurement flask required for the competition. The 115bhp engine is capable of propelling the road-going Caterham Seven to 60mph in 6.2 seconds and to a top speed of 122mph.
The Caterham 2R project has been running since April at Cranfield University as a joint effort between its International Ecotechnology Research Centre, its Centre for Lightweight Composites, and its Motorsport Unit.
