What Is The Point Of Making A Hybrid Sportscar?

To showcase your best future technology in an exciting vehicle, and letting the technology trickle down to other models. The same thing that has been going on forever in the car industry with flagship sedans and sports cars.

well... you get the benefit of having two motors worth of power output and a little fuel conservation

With today's power management systems, a hybrid sports car can have a "selectable system" onboard. Press a button to select eco-mode for a more relaxed driving dynamic that conserves fuel. Select the sport-mode for the full power available from both the engine & battery combination.

Honda bet wrong on its marketing with their Accord Hybrid from some years back. It had a good V6 paired to a decent electric motor. The gas-electric hybrid intended to provide typical V8-levels of power (for that time) with only a V6 and some batteries. That system added power in lieu of conserving fuel; most of those consumers were misinformed & equally disappointed. They didn't expect more power out of a historically conservative & family-friendly mobile appliance.

Toyota then moved-in with the Prius and satisfied the public's initial perception of what a hybrid was supposed to be.

Because you can sell to those who will buy it, and you believe there are sufficient number of buyers?

the reason for all the luxury and sports car hybrids is government distortion of market forces. manufacturers who sell in the united states will need to meet ever higher CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) standards OR face penalties across the board.

hence, hybrids that cater to that policy and capitalize on the current fashion of driving a car with hybrid badge.

it's pathetic and sad.

I THOUGHT EVERYONE HERE WOULD KNOW THAT BY NOW.... ESPECIALLY IF ITS YOU 009!...

THE POINT IS VERY VERY VERY SIMPLE


INSTANT TORQUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


NOW STOP BEING A WUSS AND CHANGE THE NEWS TITLE!!!!

it has nothing to do with torque. absolutely nothing. if that were the case, the engines would be getting bigger, not smaller.

TO SUPPORT MY FACTS:

http://www.freescale.com/files/ftf_2010/Americas/FTF10_AUT_F0888.pdf

ALSO, WHY EVERYONE LIVING ORGANISM THINKS HYBRID IS ALWAYS MADE TO SAVE THE PLANET....

GAS + STORED POWER = INSTANT BLISS.... PERIOD!

What nonsense it is to say that America fought several wars against the Metric System! The metric system is the standard for science world-wide and for the rest of the world outside the United States. Protesting against the metric system is as crazy as protesting against Arabic numerals or the Gregorian calendar. Get used to it!

Because you can. Because it's there.
Why do people climb Mt.Everest?

All good comments(I'm a torque addict myself)At some point I would like to see a true long term comparison between a small turbo four cylinder
car (next Boxster perhaps) and a comparable hybrid (performance wise)
from the time of purchase to the time of dismantling. I don't believe anything I have read yet on the true cost of ownership and overall effect on the environment. And no cost allocations in the calculations
or assumptions...give true, actual out of pocket direct expenses.

This is only a question if you are more interested in politics than engineering. Pretty sure Ferdinard Porsche wasn't thinking about republicans and democrats when he built his "mixte" hybrid that was winning races from 1899-1905.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lohner-Porsche_Mixte_Hybrid