There was a time when hybrid cars were not only frowned upon, but also ridiculed. A car whose engine turns off sporadically in order to enhance fuel-efficiency? RIDICULOUS! Fast forward a few years and nearly every automaker has either introduced a hybrid model or is in the process of developing one currently. So what is the next step that an automaker can take after introducing hybrid cars to their lineup? Why…hybrid supercars, of course!
While only a handful of automakers venture into the world of automotive superiority with high-performance models, it is the enthusiastic allure of automotive aficionados that fuels them.
These supercars have always set the bar as far as technological advancement and automotive performance are concerned, but in a time where “going green” and “efficiency” seem to be at the top of everyone’s short list of societal priorities, it simply wasn’t cutting it. For this reason, the next generation of automotive supercars that are both iconic and new have adopted advanced hybrid drivetrains; some of these monsters include the 2014 Porsche 918 Spyder, the 2014 McLaren P1, the 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari, the 2014 Nissan GTR, and the 2015 Acura NSX. Representatives of the aforementioned brands have been outspoken about the importance of the hybrid drivetrains to their respective models and brands.
One of those representatives, Ted Klaus, who is the Chief Engineer of the upcoming 2015 Acura NSX, says that what automakers should pay most attention to is trying to create a driving experience that allows the driver to forget they are driving a hybrid vehicle. What this means is being able to ensure that the drive is exhilarating and inclusive enough to the driver that it remains memorable each and every time. Chris Good, McLaren’s Chief Test Driver, agrees with Klaus. He feels that a hybrid will always be a hybrid regardless of which automaker produces it because most automakers end up with the same result no matter how they choose to get there. Needless to say, we are anxious about both the 2015 Acura NSX and the 2014 McLaren P1, along with the rest of these automotive bad boys, in their new and improved hybrid forms.
Some of these brands are fully aware of the iconic status of their brands. Roberto Fideli, technical senior vice president of Ferrari, knows how significant the auditory aspect of the Ferrari engine is; as such, he has stated that Ferrari is working on developing new technology that will both embrace the hybrid drivetrain yet still maintain the undeniably menacing growl of the Ferrari engine in the 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari supercar. In order to maintain this aspect of Ferrari’s core values, the company is thus adopting new systems that will allow it to preserve its unfaltering identity and automotive performance integrity.
Fully embracing the idea behind hybrid vehicles yet critically repurposing it is what these automakers are so graciously doing. Environmental concerns will only increase and place even more of a damper on the freedom that some of these automakers would prefer in developing high-performance automobiles. However, because of the existence and the benefits of hybrid technology along with the flexibility of automakers in developing new technologies that will allow them to adapt to the ever-changing environment, most are optimistic that high-performance vehicles will stand the test of time.