A hybrid vehicle uses multiple propulsion systems to provide motive power. This most commonly refers to gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles, which use gasoline (petrol) and electric batteries to power internal-combustion engines (ICEs) and electric motors.
Our spy photographers have caught the upcoming BMW i3 out for another testing session. For the first time, the prototypes are now fitted with the real headlights and taillights, and also got the front design elements we are going to see in the production version. If you are going to take a closer look, you will also notice that a lot of fake panels have been removed so that we now can see more of the car’s real lines and shapes.
The model has been previewed many times, with the most recent concept version being unveiled earlier this year at the Paris Auto Show. It will be powered by a powerful 170 horsepower electric engine that will sprint the car from 0 to 60 mph in under 8 seconds and up to a top speed of 93 mph.
The new BMW i3 will go on sale sometime in 2013 at an estimated priced of $55k.
Thanks to a leaked teaser of the Ferrari F70 a.k.a the next Enzo, the rumor train is now at its peak.
Using the various pictures that Ferrari has taken and keeping Pininfarina’s current design language in mind, a man named Angelo Granata has created a beautiful rendering of what he thinks is the next Ferrari F70.
It does stay true to the Ferrari design language, although if you glance at the dual-projector LED headlamps for a moment, it has an uncanny resemblance to the Aventador. Now that is something that Ferrari would definitely avoid, given the heavy rivalry. Also it’s lacking the iconic F1-inspired nose from the original Enzo, which was a distinguishing factor in terms of design. This nose does, however, serve a purpose, as its duckbill shape adds much-needed downforce to the front axle as the vehicle’s speed increases.
The rear end is a perfect mixture of the F12Berlinetta, Enzo and the 458 Italia, though the quartet tail lamps may not make it in the final design. The virtual concept’s body measures in at 4,650 mm (183.1 inches) long X 2,030 mm (79.9 inches) wide X 1,080 mm (42.5 inches) high, but no estimated weight was given.
The concept houses a mechanically actuated spoiler which is not only cool as heck, but also keeps the car planted on the track. With the kind of power the Enzo successor is supposed to pump out, that actuated wing may not be a bad idea.
The Ferrari GTE virtual concept is fitted with a 7.3-liter V-12 engine that pumps out 800 horsepower and a KERS hybrid system that adds an extra 120 ponies to the stable. This gives it a net horsepower of 920, which is exactly what all of the rumors are pointing to with the new F70. Unfortunately, the engine setup isn’t confirmed, except for the KERS system, so this is still just speculation.
With Ferrari being as silent as a monk on the Ferrari F70, we can do nothing but drool at these concept pictures and hope that some elements make it to the final official design.
At the end of November it was speculated that Audi may unveil a R10 diesel supercar, but we took that with a grain of salt. To our surprise, Audi quattro gmbh boss, Franciscus Van Meel, has confirmed that such a model is indeed under development and he offered new details on it.
According to Van Meel, the new diesel supercar will be completely different than the R8 and will help transfer Audi’s Le Mans-winning race technology to the road. The model will be "the absolute best supercar" and according to Van Meel will be "better than the forthcoming McLaren P1."
He offered no details on the engine, but we expect it to fall be somewhere around 700 horsepower and at least 737 pound-feet of torque. Depending on its weight and aerodynamics, that would give it a 0-to-60 mph sprint time in the 3-second range and top it out in the in the 200 mph range. If realized, these numbers will make the upcoming Audi diesel supercar better than three upcoming monsters: Porsche 918, Ferrari Enzo successor and McLaren P1. With all of that power means that this diesel supercar would likely come in near the €1 million mark.
Since this 4-door beauty was unveiled as a concept at the 2012 Paris Auto Show, people who were impressed by the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo have been craving for some news about it.
To restrain your craving, Porsche has released a video that provides some perspective on the design and development of the concept from a showpiece to an actual, working concept. Finally, at long last...
The Panamera Sport Turismo is a very interesting concept because of its design and drivetrain. We’re not huge fans of the shooting brake form, but with one glance of it and we suddenly are in love with this. This is what the Panamera should’ve looked like in the first place.
The e-hybrid system, which is undergoing real-world tests, is said to be an advanced development of the setup found in the current Panamera S Hybrid and Cayenne S Hybrid. Said to produce 428 horsepower combined, the Panamera sure is one powerful hybrid.
Who said hybrids aren’t fun?
With the tests going smoothly, Porsche might surprise us with the launch of the production model in 2013. Nevertheless, we all can’t wait to see what the Panamera Sport Turismo has in store for us.
The upcoming BMW i8 has been caught testing one more time. This time around, the prototype has dropped more of its camouflage and reveals some never-before-seen details. For example, for the first time we can see the typical BMW Hoffmeister kink at the rear side window as well as the real side skirts that now match the i8 Concept car. Other changes include the new position of the door handles, the new sportier looking side mirrors and more visible kidney grilles.
The BMW i8 will be powered by a 1.5-liter in-line thee-cylinder engine combined with two electric motors with an output of 95 horsepower each. The engine will mate to a new double-clutch transmission and will sprint the future supercar from 0 to 60 mph in just 4 seconds. The i8 will also boast a top speed of 155 mph.
The BMW i8 is well set to debut sometime in 2013 with sales to begin shortly after at an estimated price tag of $250,000.
The development of the Bugatti killer from Britain has entered a critical stage that decides whether Jaguar’s newly developed hybrid system and the C-X75 project as a whole deserves the green light or no.
For the past three months, Jaguar has been testing the hybrid system on a test bed and is now confident enough to install it on a rolling chassis to create a working prototype. Now the anticipation meter is back to its highest point after months of silence.
When it was first revealed at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, the Jaguar C-X75 featured two turbines that looked like rockets attached. Since Jaguar was gunning for the top-spot in performance, the rockets did make sense. But, they weren’t there to launch the car down the road like a Wile E. Coyote contraption; they were actually a pair of gas turbines to power the car once charge for the four wheel-mounted electric motors had expired.
What looked promising when Jaguar bragged about was later scrapped when the Leaping Jag announced the production of the hypercar in 2011.
The gas turbine system was replaced with a hybrid system that combined a 1.6-liter boosted engine that produced more than 500 horsepower and four insanely powerful electric motors powered by a highly sophisticated liquid- and air-cooled battery pack.
So far, the tests conducted on the hybrid system have been a success in the test bed but the real nail-biting situation will arise when Jag installs the system into a chassis to make a functional prototype.
If Jaguar succeeds this phase, then hypercar fans, start clearing your bedroom posters for space...
A few days ago, Lexus announced that they would be headed to the 2012 Paris Auto Show with a new concept car, and as promised, the company has released the first details and images on this new concept ahead of schedule. The new LF-CC is an evolution of the LF-LC 2+2 Sports Coupe Concept which debuted at the Detroit show earlier this year, but the new concept comes with rear-wheel drive and full hybrid power.
The new Lexus LF-CC Concept displays the latest evolution of Lexus’ L-finesse design language and it also previews a new premium mid-size Lexus coupe set to be unveiled in the near future (aka the successor to the SC sports coupe). The concept features the same powertrain that will be used in the eventual production version, which is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder DOHC petrol engine combined with a compact, high-output electric motor which takes its power from a high-performance battery. Specifications for the new hybrid system will be announced at a later date.
UPDATE 09/20/2012: Following the release of the first official details on the new Lexus LF-CC Concept, the first promo video of the concept has been released. Stay tuned as all of the official details will follow at the 2012 Paris Auto Show next week!.
UPDATE 11/30/2012: In a recent interview with AutoCar, a senior Lexus engineer confirmed that the company is indeed planning a production version of the LF-CC and it will arrive on the market in 2015. The LF-CC will fill the gap left by the previous SC model, which was discontinued in 2010. The production version of the LF-CC will be offered in both coupe and convertible versions, and will be built on the same platform as the new IS and GS models. We’re not too sure if the LF-CC will look identical to the concept model, but we anticipate that it won’t be too far from it. (AutoCar)
Hit the jump to read more about the 2012 Lexus LF-CC
Concept.
Porsche is currently testing the upcoming 918 Spyder at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain and the folks over Top Exotics were lucky enough to be in the area. Top Exotics caught not just one 918 Spyder, but a trio of the supercars on their way back to the hotel after a long day at the high-speed track. The video shows the hybrid car both in race and electric mode, and some interior shots.
The 918 Spyder will go on sale in the fall of 2013 with a starting price of $845,000. The supercar will combine a 4.6-liter V-8 engine with a pair of electric motors – one powering the front axle and one on the rear. This hybrid system will deliver a total of 795 horsepower and, according to Porsche, will hit a top speed of 202 mph.
For people who have always wanted to see the the much-anticipated BMW i8 Concept Roadster, BMW will soon grant your wish.
BMW has announced that the North American debut of its concept, open-top supercar will occur at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, which opens its doors to the public next week. This debut will allow people to actually enjoy the design in person and will also give us some insight on the future design language that the Bavarian giant will employ.
It’s not only the design that will impress, but the theoretical performance of the concept is also to be admired. Powered by a frugal 3-cylinder gasoline engine that produces 134 horsepower and an electric motor that produces 220 horsepower, the total output of the powertrain comes close to 354 horsepower. With its modular carbon-fiber construction and 50-50 weight distribution, this hybrid powertrain propels the car from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and to a limited top speed of 155 mph.
With hybrid technology being this concept’s key selling point, you likely expect exceptional fuel economy. Well, the i8 definitely doesn’t disappoint in that aspect, as it features an impressive 78 mpg.
The i8 Roadster will be launched for sale sometime in 2014 and is expected to cost about $130,000. If this is true, then roadster enthusiasts, start saving up because this Bimmer is truly a keeper.
The 911 is one of the most popular models in Porsche’s lineup and was always highly appreciated for its top notch performances and the classy design language.
The vehicle was also constantly attacked by various tuners who spent a lot of time developing various body kits or engine tweaks to raise its performances even more.
However, not many tuners have dared to make any radical changes under the hood and most of them were limited to ECU upgrades. Though, one of the tuners was bold enough to come up with a hybrid version of the Porsche 911 and name it the Genevart Celsius.
For the moment, we didn’t have the chance to see it in flesh and bones, as the Celsius will make its big debut next year at the 2013 Geneva Auto Salon. On the other hand, Genevart released a lot of specs and pictures, so we can make a pretty clear image about their new beast.
The most important modification is represented by the addition of two electric motors mounted to each of the rear wheels. These motors are combined with a flat six engine, the entire hybrid system offering a total power output of 900 horsepower.
