Triumph TR25 is this the electric future MX5 owners are waiting for

Just come across this beauty in a colour glossy, it is a concept electric vehicle based on the BMW i3, now discontinued, but authorised by owners of the Triumph marque BMW. The starting point for the designer, Micheal Ani of the Makkina design house, was a black and white photo of Ken Richardson and the TR2 he recorded a speed of 124 mph in at Jabbeke in 1953. Tempted to send a 5 squid cheque to the BMW CEO with the promise of a 10% non refundable deposit on what ever price he would like to put on a production variant. Range is a bit limited but this is definitely an electric future I could get excited about.

The look of the car is irrelevant; the most important aspect is why BMW agreed to allow the designer to use not just the Triumph name, but the badge as well.

The Phoenix tried to buy the Triumph name off BMW, but BMW refused, saying it would break the deal that eventually yielded MG-Rover (BMW was happy to lease the Rover name). Recently they have renewed the trademarks.

I think its about the sportscar world after 2030. BMW have certainly realigned the BMW brand in recent years. In the 1970s, BMW was known for sporting saloons, competing with Triumph. These days, BMWn includes FWD and decidedly non-sporting family cars.

The BMW Z1 launched the Z-moniker, which stood for Zukunft (future). It was a clever innovative car, masking fairly mundane mechanicals. 33 years on, does the Z4 seem like a future car? Seems backward looking now that only a S6 engine is available. Not really selling. At peak, 4000 Z4s were being sold in the UK, in 2022, less than 1000.

Will there be an electric Z-Roadster, or even M-Sport?. BMW has done well with the MINI brand. I think thry are watching MG carefully.

The last time MG was a sports car brand was 1981; the MGFs were sold later, but always alongside MG-badged Rovers. MG seems to be sticking to its guns and calling their electric roadster “cyberster” rather than following expected naming convention. The CGI marketing is futuristic. Has sufficient time passed that MG remains as a useful folk memory but doesn’t handicap the appeal of the new car, or are traditionalists going to kill it by saying its not a real MG?

If MG can pull it off, then BMW will probably think they could do a better job than the Chinese, and use Triumph for a line of sporty EVs.

Seems to me the Chinese product is aimed at the ND, Z, SLK and unpward luxury 2 door based on a SUV EV market segment, while the appeal of the TR2 is aimed at a more fundamental raw back to basics downward NA, Alpine, Spitfire and Frogeye sports enthusiast based on a city runabout EV market segment, I wonder if there would be enough customers and money to be made at the lower end to attract the neccessary investment. I guess if BMW recieve hundreds of thousands of enquiries they will have to concede they have a winner. I have tried to set the ball rolling with Chris Brownridge BMW UK CEO on linked in :wink:

It does not float my boat, no interest from this car lover.
M-m

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How about a Citroen Ami ev, or Renault Twizy ev :thinking:

Of course, to be a proper Triumph, it will need to have the electrics and battery made by Lucas…what could go wrong?! :laughing:

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Never happened with my Lucas electricals.

French … never never never.
M-m

Let’s hope BMW take note :wink:

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