Rodin Cars inks partnership with University of Canterbury

South Island motorsport firm Rodin Cars has confirmed a new partnership with the University of Canterbury’s motorsport division, which will see the two groups working together on the latter’s black and gold Formula SAE racer — now dubbed the ‘Baby Rodin’. 

The University of Canterbury Motorsport team will now be able to tap some of Rodin’s engineers and know-how via its Mt Lyford facility, as it prepares for showings at street sprints, sealed hill climbs, autocross meetings, and events like the Waimate 50. 

The news is Rodin’s latest announcement in what’s been a busy year. In March it confirmed the opening of a new base at Donington Park in the UK, with a 500 square-meter showroom, as it pushes its Formula-1-style open-wheel FZED track car in Europe. 

Rodin cars also recently took delivery of a new 3D Systems DMP Factory 500 Metal 3D printer, capable of 500 x 500 x 500 printing capacity. It will be used to print light-weight titanium gearbox casings, and other parts for Rodin’s FZERO production supercar. 

“With many of the staff at Rodin Cars graduates of the University of Canterbury we see a natural fit in partnering with the University of Canterbury Motorsport team (UCM) for the National Motorsport Programme,” said Rodin Cars CEO David Dicker. 

“Not only is it a way for Rodin Cars to give back to UCM, but it also demonstrates the type of career available to graduates.

“With Rodin Cars, I wanted to push the boundaries and not just follow what’s already been done. That’s why we’ve had a long-standing association with the University of Canterbury and its motorsport team. Pushing the boundaries is about fresh ideas.”

The diminutive ‘Baby Rodin’ racer features 675cc Triumph Daytona triple, producing 97kW of power and paired to a six-speed transmission. Tipping the scales at a mere 230kg, it packs a ludicrous power-to-weight ratio of 422kW/tonne — perilously close to the power-to-weight figure of the Ferrari SF90 hypercar. 

“The partnership between Rodin cars and the University of Canterbury Motorsport team has been vital in our success of building a competitive package,” said Jared Parker, National Motorsport Programme team manager and driver. 

“From designing the cars where we have had technical support from Rodin Cars’ engineers (many of whom are University of Canterbury Motorsport team alumni), to building the cars with access to the Rodin Cars autoclave, plastics and metal 3D printers, and finally to having access to Rodin Cars’ test circuits. We wouldn’t be where we are today without them.”