The first British rotary engine sports car made its historic debut at the 2016 Cenex Low Carbon Vehicle Event on September 14-15.
The major event was held at the Millbrook Proving Ground as the car enjoyed a dynamic ride and drive test of a ground-breaking low carbon rotary engine integrated within a popular British open-top Westfield Sportscar.
World class rotary specialists Advanced Innovative Engineering (UK) Ltd developed the 120 bhp engine which turned heads as the unmistakeable sound of the rotary exhaust rumbled through the course, which delivered exceptional performance as it was put through its paces around the ride and drive test track.
The historic moment came as a result of Niche Vehicle Networkâs collaborative project to develop a high performance, low carbon vehicle that uses an AIE rotary engine which is designed to improve the vehicleâs environmental performance and fuel efficiency, while delivering optimal power with reduced emissions.
While it is generally viewed as an unlikely fuel efficient option considering the history of the rotary engine, AIE (UK) Ltd defied critics by showcasing the rule changing capabilities of the latest 650S rotary engine that utilises patented technology including SPARCS (Self-Pressurising-Air Rotor Cooling System).
The innovative cooling concept was invented by Norton Rotary Engine specialist firm David Garside and rectifies the engineâs previous drawbacks, providing superior heat rejection and efficient thermal balancing to reduce wear, increase efficiency and deliver unrivalled performance above other oil and air-cooled rotary engines.
Nathan Bailey, AIE Managing Director, commented on the notable event: It was definitely a milestone moment to watch our 650S make history as the first single rotor engine to power a British sports car around the track. AIE have once again proven that through advanced technology and precision engineering, rotary engines can deliver innovative solutions as lightweight, efficient powertrains within the automotive industry.
