Shell reveals frugal concept car

Shell has teamed up with former F1 designer, Gordon Murray, to create a more efficient version of the existing T25 city-car concept.

Now said to offer a respectable 2.6L/100km at a steady cruise of 70km/h, the Shell Concept Car was created to offer significant efficiency gains over the T25 city-car that was first revealed back in 2010.

Biggest change from the original concept is the addition of drag-reducing hubcaps, enclosed rear wheels and underbody aero tweaking to reduce drag from 0.37 to 0.29Cd.

Weighing in at just 550kg, the new car is 80kg lighter than before following weight cuts to every element of the original car, including the tubular frame, seats, brakes, suspension and even wiring loom being redesigned.

The original steel body was ditched for carbon-fibre panels.

Inside, the unusual centrally-mounted driving position remains, flanked by two passenger seats positioned further back (copying the Murray-designed McLaren F1).

Shell’s involvement was said to concern the 660cc three-cylinder engine sourced from Smart.

The Shell-enhanced engine receives new pistons, piston rings, valve springs and redesigned conrods that all contribute to lower friction and, hence, lower internal losses. Factor in lubricants specially designed for the engine and Shell claims efficiency has been boosted by five per cent.

Shell said the aim of the project is to share its research and insights gained from the project with other engine designers and car manufacturers to help make road cars more efficient.

However, it’s unlikely the Shell car will ever reach production due to its size and high cost of manufacturing.