Nissan has created a custom titanium trike for Paralympics gold medalist David Stone, and its built has benefited from the brand’s expertise with the GT-R Nismo.
Work on the trike first commenced in 2014 and has been led by the Nissan Innovation Team based at the Nissan Technical Centre Europe. Before construction could begin, a full 3D laser scan was done of Stone’s existing steel and carbon fiber trike.
One it was determined that a lighter and faster trike could be built, Nissan used the same Grade 9 titanium Nismo uses for the exhaust of the top GT-R. This new construction material reduces the trike’s weight by 18 per cent.
Unlike Stone’s previous trike which was a standard bike frame bonded to a steel trike conversion kit, the trike created by the Nissan Innovation Team is fully integrated and includes a dual wheel drive system where the wheels can be powered together yet independently free wheeled, just like the rear differential of a car.
Prior to leaving for Rio for the Paralympic Games, David Stone said “It’s been an extremely exciting couple of years working with Alec and the Nissan Innovation Team in Cranfield. I never imagined that I would have access to a team of engineering experts who would be able to create something so bespoke for me. I’m looking forward to riding the new trike in Rio and hopefully making everyone back in Britain proud.”
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