Hybrid cars are the antithesis of powerful vehicles. They’re compact. They’re slow to accelerate. They appeal to fuel-saving sensibility instead of automotive grace.
At least that’s what you think, right?
Along comes a car to shatter that conventional wisdom. On Tuesday, Ferrari unveiled its first-ever hybrid at the Geneva Motor Show, a luxury sports vehicle capable of producing 963-horsepower with its V-12 engine. It takes its driver from 0 to 60 in less than three seconds.
It’s known simply as “La Ferrari.” Chairman Luca Cordero de Montezemolo said the model was developed based off the company’s experience in Formula One racing and would be the basis for all future models, adopting a system that recovers energy under braking. “It is an advanced laboratory for the Ferraris of tomorrow,” he tells the Wall Street Journal.
La Ferrari is intended for the ultra-rich collector set. Although Ferrari didn’t disclose the precise purchase price, it’s believed to be approximately $1.3 million. Only 499 models will be produced – and they’ve already been sold to hand-picked buyers.
Unlike many green car customers, those lucky few probably aren’t concerned with fuel economy. La Ferrari achieves 16.6 miles per gallon.
Which means in this case, if you’ve been dreaming of better fuel economy, your better bet is still the Toyota Prius.
Featured Gallery
McLaren took the wraps off its upcoming P1 supercar nearly five months ago at the Paris Motor Show, but the automaker refused to release details about its interior, powerplant or performance– those juicy details would all have to wait. Details of the $1.15 million car, which can go zero to 60 in just 3 seconds, are out.
For more details, see ourstory here. Click through for more photos.
After a private showing in New York, followed by another exclusive event in Beverly Hills, McLaren began to slowly trickle out information about the P1’s instrument cluster and passenger cabin, before finally disclosing its 903 horsepower hybrid powerplant earlier this month.
Finally, after much speculation, McLaren has revealed the last piece of the puzzle and announced its tested performance figures. The 100 km/h benchmark (62 mph) falls in”less than three seconds” while the 200 km/h barrier (124 mph) is shattered in “under seven seconds.” Lastly, the rear-wheel drive P1 will hit 300 km/h (186 mph) in “no more than 17 seconds” (an impressive 11 seconds faster than its legendary McLaren F1). Those blistering numbers put the P1 among a very small and elite group, with members like Bugatti, Koenigsegg and Hennessey –?? the fastest road cars on the planet.
If you are wondering how much it costs to embarrass a Ferrari, McLaren also broke its pricing embargo today. Base price, in the United States, is a cool $1,150,000.
Yet you don’t have to feel badly about polluting the environment — duel powerplants can help assuage guilt there. On one hand, the P1 comes with a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine enhanced with an electric motor. The effect means the car gives almost instantaneous throttle response as you push on the gas pedal.
But if that gets you a wee bit out of control, the car has spage-age brakes similar to a sports racing car. Developed by McLaren’s Formula 1 partner Akebono, the system features a new type of carbon ceramic disc, which has previously seen service in space, but never before used on a road car.
McLaren’s stand at the Paris Auto Show, where they lined up three sexy beasts in a row.