Back in April, Mercedes showed off its new roadster, baby brother to the AMG SL 63. But this one was missing the brand's typical inline six or V8 sitting under that long hood. Instead, it packed a four-cylinder turbo with F1 tech inside. An electric motor was attached to the turbo's shaft between the turbine wheel on the exhaust side and the compressor wheel on the intake side. The motor drives the shaft of the turbo directly and spins up the compressor wheel before exhaust gasses do, improving throttle response.
Lewis Hamilton's F1 car uses the same deal, and now it appears that Mercedes-Benz is working on tech that'll be a departure from that: a full-on hybrid.