Autoblog

Icona Vulcano one-off supercar headed for Shanghai

Jeffrey N. Ross — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 17:06:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, China, Shanghai Motor Show

We're still on a bit of a supercar hangover from all the high-horsepower goodness we saw at the Geneva Motor Show, but the upcoming Shanghai Motor Show promises at least one car that can rival the performance numbers of the McLaren P1, Ferrari LaFerrari or Lamborghini Veneno. Shanghai-based Icona is teasing us with a shot of its one-off Vulcano supercar, which it will reveal next month.

The Vulcano's Coke-bottle shape is obvious from this overhead shot (click above to enlarge), but there's not much else we can make out on the car penned by French designer Samuel Chaffart, who previously designed cars for Nissan and Jaguar-Land Rover. As for the super part of this supercar, the Vulcano has a front-mounted V12 paired with some arrangement of electric motors to produce up to 900 horsepower. Icona doesn't specify how the electric motors are used and doesn't refer to the car as a hybrid, but it does say that the two-seater can reach a top speed of 217 miles per hour and that it can accelerate to 124 mph in under 10 seconds.

Feel free to peruse the press release below.

Continue reading Icona Vulcano one-off supercar headed for Shanghai

Icona Vulcano one-off supercar headed for Shanghai originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 23 Mar 2013 17:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes rules out hybrid supercar, promises SLS successor

John Neff — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

The recent Geneva Motor Show was a festival of hypercars, with the presence of not one, but three over-the-top debuts: the Lamborghini Veneno, McLaren P1 and Ferrari LeFerrari. The latter two have hitched their carbon fiber bumpers to the electrification bandwagon by using hybrid-electric powertrains not entirely unlike the propulsion systems we've come to know in cars like the Toyota Prius and Chevrolet Volt. Does that mean the flow of electrons up the four-wheeled food chain will eventually consume our hallowed supercars? Not if AMG has anything to say about it.

AMG Director of Vehicle Development Tobias Moers recently confirmed that not only will there be a successor to the Mercedes-Benz performance division's SLS AMG, he notes that its internal combustion engine will most definitely not be sharing living quarters with an electric drivetrain. Instead, AMG plans to focus on further pushing the power and efficiency envelope of the internal combustion engine and advancing the use of lightweight materials to achieve their goals. The first example of this effort can be seen in the new SLS AMG Black Series that incorporates many weight-saving techniques to shed some 154 pounds from the SLS AMG GT (above), which itself is lighter than the standard SLS AMG.

Furthermore, Moers remarks that his company is happy to leave the hypercar segment to companies like Ferrari and McLaren. He admits that, "Ferrari in the hyper-car segment is still a different brand than AMG. We have to be honest..." So rather than taking the SLS further upmarket to do battle with bulls and stallions, Moers hinted that the next-generation SLS may be joined by another performance model that fits neatly between itself and the C63 AMG.

Mercedes rules out hybrid supercar, promises SLS successor originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 16 Mar 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bristol hybrid supercar waiting in the wings

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Luxury

The denouement is happening in geologic time, but it looks like historic British carmaker Bristol will be resurrected with a hybrid supercar courtesy of another historic former British carmaker, Frazer-Nash. Four years ago, Frazer-Nash, now a Swiss company specializing in hybrid and alternative drivetrains, showed off the Namir concept designed by Guigiaro. After Bristol went bankrupt in 2011 it was bought by Kamkorp Autokraft, the parent company of Frazer-Nash with plans to make a hybrid supercar.

The Namir was a series hybrid with a total of 362 horsepower, a 0-to-62 mile per hour acceleration time of 3.5 seconds, a claimed top speed of 187 mph and 91.7 US miles per gallon. The new Bristol could employ the same powertrain, according to a report in Autocar, "a compact rotary" that powers the lithium ion battery pack, that powering the electric motor driving all four wheels.

We might not be close to the finish - Frazer-Nash hasn't said when this new Bristol will arrive, nor who will design it. It has said, though, that it has "firm intention" to build the car.

Bristol hybrid supercar waiting in the wings originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 09 Feb 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kepler Motion supercar rears its hybrid head [w/videos]

Jeffrey N. Ross — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance

It's been a few years since we last heard about the Kepler Motors Motion hybrid supercar, but this car looks like it's still alive and kicking. For those who don't remember, we first heard about the Motion ahead of the 2009 Dubai Motor Show, but the company has released some new pictures and videos of the car carving up some exciting California back roads.

It doesn't appear that there is any new information to relay about the Kepler Motors Motion, so we're still to believe that the car uses a Ford 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 driving the rear wheels and a pair of electric motors powering the fronts. This hybrid all-wheel-drive system is said to give the car a combined output of 800 horsepower with the EcoBoost alone tuned to 550 horses. With that kind of figure to go with an incredible exhaust note that this car has, we could only image what a modern Taurus SHO could really be.

Check it out for yourself in the videos posted below.

Continue reading Kepler Motion supercar rears its hybrid head [w/videos]

Kepler Motion supercar rears its hybrid head [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Izaro GT-E eco-minded supercar takes shape

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Europe, Electric

Izaro GT-E - Click above for high-res image gallery

With the generous and quixotic assistance of Google Translate we've been able to cobble together random bits about the Izaro Motors GT-E. The brand itself is a resurrected name founded in Madrid in 1922, the Izaro Electric Car Factory. This new company is said to be run by the original founder's grandson, and in keeping with that continuity, his new creation is a sports car that will use either electric or hybrid propulsion.

Originally developed on a Factory Five chassis, at least one source claims that Izaro no longer has any relationship with said company. Izaro explains that the roughly 2,200-pound chassis they're using is fabricated from basalt fiber, magnesium and high-strength steel, and will hide one of two engines: a 495-horsepower electric motor or a 416-hp hybrid combo.

Since current fashion dictates that planned electric supercars need to be accessorized with whopping projected specs, Izaro doesn't disappoint: 0-to-62 miles per hour in under four seconds, a 150-mile range in the electric variant and 428 miles in the hybrid, with a €60,000 ($76,089 U.S.) starting price. Since you probably won't see it anywhere else for a while (if ever), you can check it out in the gallery of high-res photos below.

Gallery: Izaro Motors GT E

[Sources: Izaro Motors (translated), Autoblog Spanish (translated)]

Izaro GT-E eco-minded supercar takes shape originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: 2013 BMW Vision EfficientDynamics supercar moving toward production

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, BMW, Rumormill, Electric, Diesel

BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

According to an unnamed "senior BMW authority out of Munich" speaking with InsideLine, the German automaker will indeed build a production version of the Vision EfficientDynamics concept that debuted last year at the Frankfurt Motor Show. BMW is reportedly planning for a model run of between 5,000 and 10,000 units in 2013. We'll get to the details in a moment, but here's the best news: "That name that the marketing people forced on us [is] going to change for sure." Phew.

Apparently, BMW has no plans to ditch the radical plug-in hybrid powertrain, which put out 356 horsepower and a stonkin' 590 pound-feet of torque in the concept. That means we'll get something similar to the turbocharged three-cylinder diesel range extender and twin electric motors powered by a lithium polymer battery pack that was featured in Frankfurt. Sounds great so far, and BMW claims the performance will be even better than the 4.8-second 0 to 60 run quoted for the concept.

Naturally, some of the Vision's more outlandish exterior bits will go the way of the Dodo, but IL reports BMW's target of weight is still under 3,000 pounds, meaning that high-tech composites and construction techniques are a veritable lock. Price for this next-gen eco-friendly supercar? Nothing announced - but if you have to ask... well, you know the rest.

Gallery: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept

[Source: Inside Line]

Report: 2013 BMW Vision EfficientDynamics supercar moving toward production originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: McLaren planning hybrid supercar

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:27:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Supercars, Rumormill

McLaren F1 LM - Click above for high-res image gallery

McLaren has put up a job posting for a Senior Engineer for Powertrain Hybrid Technology on its official website, which may offer a few clues as to where the automaker may be heading in the near future for its road cars. As far as rumors go, this one seems pretty solid. According to an unnamed spokesperson quoted by Autocar:

It (hybrid technology) is something we want as a forward-thinking, technology-driven company. We have been considering it for future projects. All the advert means is that we are looking for a senior engineer in powertrain hybrid technology. Read into it what you will.

One possibility is that McLaren will attempt to adapt the KERS system from its Formula 1 race cars for street use. It's widely agreed upon that McLaren's KERS implementation is the best in F1 and both BMW and Ferrari are also thought to be working on KERS for future road cars.

Within the next few years, McLaren is expected to introduce a couple of new supercars, including a replacement for the current SLR, codenamed P11, and a successor to the famed F1 supercar from the mid '90s that's currently known as the P12.

Gallery: McLaren F1 LM

[Source: McLaren via Autocar]

Rumormill: McLaren planning hybrid supercar originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus planning hybrid supercar?

Stuart Waterman — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 16:08:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Motorsports, Hybrid, Supercars, Lexus, Toyota

When we last posted about Lexus' long-awaited LF-A supercar, which debuted at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show (photo at right), it was to announce that the production version of the car would make its debut as the pace car for the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix. Well, as we get ever-closer to production, the latest news on Toyota's supercar is that it will be available in both gasoline and hybrid versions.

Speculation has the hybrid version using the powertrain from the 600h sedan - a 5-liter V8 with a continuously-variable transmission and an electric motor/battery auxiliary power unit.

At the same time, the gasoline version will follow Toyota's Formula 1 cars in switching from the previously rumored V10 to a V8.

Related factoids for your consideration:

F1 rules for 2008 and beyond are considering regenerative braking systems (and longer-term, alternative powertrains)
Lexus recently completed a 24 hour endurance race with a modified GS450h - the first hybrid car ever to compete in an FIA-sanctioned circuit race

[Source: PistonHeads]

Lexus planning hybrid supercar? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Aug 2006 16:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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