On paper, this is far from being a fair fight. Pitting a Porsche 911 against a Toyota Prius? Really?
But that’s what the guys from 4Car did, although there is a catch to the so-called ‘race’. The race isn’t so much as to determine which is faster – that’s not even up for debate – but to figure out which car can come closer to its official fuel consumption figures. For the record, the Prius does 74mpg while the 911 can run up to 28 mpg. So, the bet between 4C Editor Tim Bowdler and road test editor John Mahoney is to find out which car can come closer its advertised fuel consumption.
Bowdler takes the wheel of the Prius, claiming that – unlike the previous Prius model, which failed to live up to the fuel consumption hype it generated – the new Prius puts a stamp on that claim and beats it by a wide margin. On the other hand, Mahoney takes the wheel of the 911, which, as we all know, is in a class of its own as far as fuel efficiency is concerned.
To find out who won this unusual duel, click on the link to watch the video.
The second hybrid model, next to the ActiveHybrid 7, coming today from the luxury automaker BMW is the ActiveHybrid X6. Based on the latest BMW SUV, the new ActiveHybrid X6 is the world’s first Sports Activity Coupe with full hybrid drive. Sales will begin later in the year.
The hybrid SUV combines a 407 HP V8 gasoline engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo Technology and two electric synchronous motors delivering 91 HP and, respectively, 86 HP. Total output goes up to 485 HP and 575 lb-ft of torque. With this amount of power the new ActiveHybrid X6 sprints from 0 to 60 MPH in 5.6 seconds, while top speed is limited to 146 MPH.
While running exclusively on electric power, the model can hit a top speed of 37 MPH for up to 1.6 miles, with the combustion engine being activated automatically whenever required. The new ActiveHybrid X6 also comes with: an electronic power steering system, an Auto Start/Stop system, a modified suspension, a lightweight braking system, a "powerdome" hood, and 20-inch light-alloy Aero wheels.
Press release after the jump.
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The German automaker BMW has officially unveiled the new ActiveHybrid 7, the first car in the world to combine a V8 gasoline engine, eight-speed automatic transmission and an electric motor as a mild hybrid concept.
The V8 engine delivers 449 HP between 5,500 and 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 479 lb-ft consistently all the way from 2,000 to 4,500 rpm. The ActiveHybrid 7 accelerates from 0 to 60 MPH in just 4.9 seconds, and can hit a top speed of 155 MPH.
The V8 engine is combined to a three-phase synchronous electric motor positioned between the combustion engine and the automatic transmission converter. The electric motor generates additional drive power of 20 HP, with maximum power increasing to an even more substantial 27 HP in the generator mode charging the lithium-ion battery. In the driving mode BMW ActiveHybrid 7 benefits from maximum output of 465 HP and peak torque of 516 lb-ft.
Other green technologies included in the new ActiveHybrid 7: Brake Energy Regeneration, two interconnected on-board power networks, and a 400 watt-hour 35 cell lithium-ion battery which weighs 59.5 lb and measures 14.6 x 8.7 x 9.1 inches.
Full details in the press release after the jump.
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We all know that the world’s oil resources isn’t going to last forever and that gas-guzzling vehicles would eventually fall by the wayside and be replaced by plug-in hybrids and electric cars.
So when car makers are slowly pushing for the development of these types of cars, you know that they’re fully aware of the future of the industry as well.
The latest car brand that’s being linked to producing an electric car is Volvo. The Swedish-based automaker has already gone on record as saying that they are in the middle of producing a plug-in hybrid. Now, it’s beginning to look like plug-ins aren’t the only thing that’s taking up Volvo’s time.
Rumors have come out that Volvo is in the infancy stage of producing an electric version of the Volvo C30 with a source, who knows his way around the industry, even saying that he is ‘reasonably confident’ that Volvo is doing more than just the standard research with regards to the future of an electric car in its line-up.
Continued after the jump.
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Infiniti is preparing to show the world what the next generation M class, full size luxury sedan will look like at Pebble Beach, and the parent company Nissan has just shaken a few trees by introducing the all electric Leaf. So the only thing left to do until coming out with a working model of the next generation Infiniti M powered exclusively by by a laminated lithium ion battery pack is to adapt a hybrid module into what they already have. So Infiniti will soon unveil a gas/electric powered version of the sedan in 2010, followed by a European launch later in 2011.
The future hybrid M will be powered by a 3.7 Liter gas burning V6 combined with a compact electric motor powered by the NEC lithium ion batteries. This technology was revealed this past March at the Geneva Motor Show with the ultra luxurious and even more efficient Essence Concept.
The forward looking concept was powered by a combination of gas and electric motors that delivered a maximum output of 592 HP. The gas burning 3.7 Liter V6 was fitted with a twin turbocharger setup that delivers 434 HP, while the electric motor, called a 3D Motor delivers an additional 158 HP into the mix.
Supercar makers never the thought the day would come when they’d eventually jump on the hybrid bandwagon. After all, it does go against everything they hold so dear: power, speed, more power, and more speed.
But times have indeed changed and with that, so have the taste and preference of most car buyers. With the cards being dealt as it is, it seems like there’s no going around the hybrid train anymore and Lamborghini has instead decided to jump on board.
According to Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini is in the infancy stage of developing a small electric motor in conjunction with gasoline power, which could eventually lead to Lambo cars that cuts down on fuel consumption. The Lamborghini brass has also estimated a 2015 launch for this hybrid vehicle.
Blasphemous as it sounds for a super car brand to produce a mild hybrid version, the prevailing thought is that with Porsche and Ferrari already in the process of developing their own hybrids, it was only a matter of time before Lamborghini joins their supercar brethren in the ever-increasing hybrid pursuit.
Continued after the jump.
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The initial rumors about a green sports car concept from BMW started appearing just the other day. Now, thanks to the German automotive journal Auto Motor Und Sport, we can reveal a few more details about the upcoming concept. The German Magazine reported that it will be called the M1 Hybrid Concept and that it will feature a hybrid drive train technology and will have the same dimensions as a 3-Series measuring 14.75 ft long. The exterior design will be inspired by the M1 Homage car of course.
Compared to the M1 Homage car, the new hybrid 2+2 model will be powered by an electric motor mounted at the front axle combined with a small internal combustion engine in the back. This will keep emissions under 100 g/km, and thanks of a low curb weight the BMW will offer the same performance as a Porsche 911.
Stay tuned for even more details!
Who ever said that hybrids had to be boring never envisioned this tuned gas/electric Honda. When it was originally conceived, the new Honda Insight was designed to be an affordable option for ecologically conscious new car owners. However no one said that it had to look boring, and that is exactly what the Japanese tuning house Exclusive Zeus decided to do. They saw the potential in the Insight and developed a customization program for the economical hybrid Honda.
The kit consists of a new front fascia complete with blacked out grill, a set of beefy side skirts, a new vented rear apron and integrated diffuser. The tuned Insight is then finished off with a set of interesting four spoke rims wrapped in some all new low profile tires.
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General Motors announced it will reveal a new Buick crossover vehicle in 2011 that will feature plug-in hybrid technology. Buick announced no name for their crossover, but they announced it will first be launched in 2010 powered by direct-injected gasoline engines, followed in 2011 by the plug-in hybrid model.
The new crossover will be built on the Buick Enclave platform and will be powered by an Ecotec 2.4L direct-injected four-cylinder engine with an optional 3.0L direct-injected V-6, and is expected to deliver 30 mpg.
The Buick plug-in hybrid will use the same manganese-spinel based chemistry and polymer battery cells as the Volt. The 8 kwh battery - containing half the energy of the Volt battery pack - will be packaged in a rectangular-shaped box under the cargo floor.
The lithium-ion battery can be fully recharged in four to five hours by simply connecting the vehicle to any standard 110V household electrical outlet. By recharging rather than refueling, the Buick plug-in hybrid significantly improves fuel economy and reduces petroleum use. In early testing, the plug-in hybrid is capable of electric-only propulsion for more than 10 miles at low speeds.
Press release after the jump.
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The Prius is a very successful model already! But Toyota needs new models if they wanted to complete all the market’s segment! And with the new emission standards hybrid models are a must! So, in 2011 Toyota will add a new hybrid model to their line-up: a hybrid version of the sub-compact Yaris. The new model will be sold in Japan and Europe.
Toyota’s new hybrid-only compact will use the platform and engine of the Yaris compact and will feature a more cost competitive and fuel-efficient hybrid system than that of the Prius. Its greatest competitor will be the next Honda Fit hybrid.
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