kers

Volvo has been experimenting with flywheel propulsion systems since the eighties, but only recently has technology caught up with the possibility of real-world applications. In 2011, the Swedish carmaker was granted 6.57 million Swedish kronor (about $1M US) by the Swedish Energy Agency to work ...

It recently came out that Porsche mulled a return to Formula One but chose a return to Le Mans instead, citing F1 technology's lack of relevance to its road cars. Well Porsche, take this: the Twizy Renault Sport F1 concept, "a bridge between the world of F1 technology and that of production ...

We happen to like the Toyota GT86 – and, it of course goes without saying that the same applies to the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S, as well – just the way it is. Yes, that includes the standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine and its 200 horsepower at 7,000 rpm. That said, a ...

Caterham may be looking to expand its product scope beyond its current offerings. After the company announced an alliance with Renault yesterday, Caterham Chairman Tony Fernandes was quoted as saying the partnership is "the start of a line of products from Caterham." Fernandes went on to say the ...

Go back just a few years ago, and you'd easily conclude that Ferrari and hybrids would go together about as well as ice cream and pickles. But a lot's changed since then, and Ferrari is making no secret of the fact that it's developing hybrid powertrains of its own. The first system it developed ...

Ferrari is known for hyper-exotic supercars, speed and big price tags. There is a reason, though, that we didn't mention fuel efficiency. Hopped-up V8 and V12 engines don't exactly conjure up images of tree-hugging, and, for the most part, we're more than okay with that. That could change, at ...

Race cars are going hybrid these days. Formula One racers store regenerated brake energy. Porsche packs a flywheel into the 911 GT3 R. Just the other day, Toyota unveiled its new TS030 Hybrid endurance prototype. And now even Jim Glickenhaus' one-off Ferrari-powered, Pininfarina-designed P4/5 ...

If you were impressed by the MP4-12C, well, you should be. It's an otherworldly performance machine. But we ain't seen nothing yet from McLaren Automotive, which is gearing up to launch an even more capable supercar. Whereas the 12C is targeted at the Ferrari 458 Italia, the next project down ...

Team Lotus of Formula One confirmed it will extend its engine deal with Renault through the end of 2013. The team, headed by entrepreneur Tony Fernandes, announced at the Singapore Grand Prix that it will employ a Red Bull-developed KERS system starting in 2012. Fernandes said the Team ...

Glancing down the F1 roster this year has lead to a little confusion for many. That's because there are two teams that lay claim to the Lotus name, and they're both powered by Renault. The French automaker and engine supplier is stuck in the middle of the naming-rights tug-of-war, but if you were ...

Go back into the history of grand prix racing, and the only green you'd expect to see was the color of a British racing car and the vast quantity of cash injected into the sport. But today, Formula One is different scene, thanks in no small part to a push by the FIA for a more environmentally ...

Sources within Porsche told us that KERS would be available throughout the entire next-gen 911 range, but now, a Porsche executive calls it "nonsense." While the automaker is developing ways to make electric range extenders work in some Porsche models, a hybrid 911 reportedly isn't in the cards ...

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, winner of last weekend's Formula 1 opening round in Australia, has taken to YouTube to explain what the addition of KERS and and an adjustable rear wing means for drivers. Technically speaking, KERS is good for a six-second, 80-horsepower boost. According to Vettel, ...

Remember simpler times when transmissions came in two flavors? Choosing a manual or an automatic was a straightforward decision: enthusiasts took the manual, commuters took the automatic. The emergence of in-between options ...

In an attempt to reduce costs and get more brands into the field, it's beginning to look like as many as three different race series in Europe, Asia and the United States may adopt a more-or-less common set of rules. The German Touring Car Championship (shown above) is set to introduced a new ...

With Ferrari spending so much time and money talking up its hybrid, KERS, lighter weight and more efficient V8 plans, it's natural to find sister company Maserati not far back in tow. But before the Trident brand goes ...

It's been 21 years since a turbocharger found its way onto a Formula One racer. In 1989, the FIA banned forced-induction due to the ridiculous power and speed they were generating. For better or worse, things haven't been the same since, but if a report from Pitpass is to be believed, we may see ...

What's the world coming to when two of Italy's most storied supercar manufacturers – we're talking Ferrari and Lamborghini here, in case you couldn't tell – are planning to launch hybrid automobiles? Well, actually that'd be three of Italy's most storied automakers, now that rumors of ...

The hybrid drive system being used by Porsche in its new 911 GT3 R isn't what you find in your average Prius or Fusion. Instead of a battery for energy storage, the 911 will use an electro-mechanical flywheel. The system ...

Italian pub, Quattroroute reports Ferrari will show its first road-going hybrid next March at the Geneva Motor Show. Based on the 599 GTB, the Ferrari hybrid is expected to use a derivative of the kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) used on the prancing horse's Formula One cars during part of the ...