A modern tribute to a record-breaking Triumph
Electric power comes from a BMW i3
Design firm Makkina is bringing back a very specific Triumph TR2. The Makkina TR25 is a modern homage to a record-breaking TR2 that will be powered by an electric driveline snagged from a BMW i3.
We’ve never heard of Makkina before, but the company says it has been working behind the scenes for automakers since 1998. It is run by UK designer Michael Ani, who has worked for the International Automotive Design consultancy and was the Chief Exterior Designer for VW/Audi Design Center Europe. The TR25 is the first reveal to wear the company’s name.
The TR25 is a tribute to a Triumph TR2 called Jabbeke. That car, wearing the number plate MVC575, set a land speed record for production cars under two litres in May of 1953. With driver Ken Richardson behind the wheel, at a facility in Jabekke, Belgium, the car did 124.889 miles per hour. It now lives in the British Motor Museum.
Makkina said it wanted to showcase what made that TR2 so important. The features the TR25 took inspiration from include the sleek exterior, the two distinctive headlights, and the single-occupant cabin.
The result is an exceptionally sleek-looking car. One that at first glance has almost no detail or character but quickly expands in complexity. Or as our Ed. Olivier Delorme said, “we’re getting closer and closer to a one-LEGO-block car.”
The car uses a 42 kWh battery and 184 hp electric motor, both of which are taken from the i3S. The TR25 uses that car’s carbon fibre chassis but has its own bodywork, tires, and brakes. Makkina estimates that the car could do 190 miles on a charge thanks to that battery pack. Its top speed is an estimated 115 miles an hour, so it falls short of the original.
There is no word on production plans. This is a 25th birthday celebration for the company. Though we’d love to see one on the road, and a used BMW i3 can’t be all that pricey these days.
