Young Engineers for Britain (2001)

A car body, built out of vacuum formed polycarbonate, won its Wymondham College inventor a second prize at the Young Engineers for Britain 2001 Competition (Class A Individual; 11-14 Years).  Robin Shute had the idea of building full-sized car bodies in similar ways, and from similar materials, to those used to make the bodies for model cars. The idea found favour with Lotus, based nearby, and led to the manufacture of a four-piece body for a 340R sports car.

Advantages over the GRP currently used include: reduced weight, lowered costs and integral windscreen and headlight covers. The body is also recyclable and more resistant to low speed collision damage. Although the demonstration body is transparent, production versions could be made opaque, maintaining transparency for the windscreen and headlight covers.