Hybrid sports cars?

[Ecky]

Maybe it's due to the weight? I find myself occasionally wondering why there aren't any hybrid sports or performance cars, which maintain high fuel economy. The NSX is a hybrid but isn't remotely economical.

Food for thought, it wouldn't be terribly difficult to take a Prius and (for Toyota to) quadruple battery and motor size. Fuel economy would be practically the same, so long as you kept the same tires. You might even be able to downsize the engine a bit. Cost would go up, but you would keep great fuel economy while having great acceleration.

Granted, putting a big engine in a Prius, a sports car does not make, but the principle applies. One could, for instance, quite reasonably put a 300HP "motor assist" on a small 3 or 4 cylinder in a Miata. Highway cruising could be in excess of 40-50mpg even with sticky tires, while being able to shred the back tires and scare the **** out of people on demand. Short trips could be on electricity alone.

I feel the Accord hybrid was probably the earliest, closest idea to this, but the battery wasn't big enough and the gas engine basically provided most of the electricity fed to the 181HP electric motor. Plus, it was put in a big, heavy car, so 0-60 was "only" around 7 seconds with 50mpg highway economy. Either Accord, or Volt for that matter, could have the gas engines downsized and the electrical side enlarged to make them truly fast, gas sipping vehicles without the limitations of EVs.

[Stubby79]

CRZ is about the only thing that comes to my mind...and it's no powerhouse.

Hmm...cram a tesla-like motor in the back of a miata, turn the engine in to a motor/generator...gearboxless auto, or maybe a "manual" that you could just throw in the neutral when you can't be bothered to shift for fun.

or a corvette with similar setup and a much bigger engine...

dreaming! Maybe in my lifetime?

Maybe I should do it myself...

[redpoint5]

Designing and building 2 drivetrains and mashing them together is expensive. It's a small miracle that the Prius is the price it is. I think the options are fast, affordable, fuel efficient; pick 2.

The BMW i8 gets nearly 30 MPG on gasoline alone, with a 0-62 MPH time of 4.4 seconds. Nice hybrid sports car.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_i8

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Designing and building 2 drivetrains and mashing them together is expensive. It's a small miracle that the Prius is the price it is. I think the options are fast, affordable, fuel efficient; pick 2.

The BMW i8 gets nearly 30 MPG on gasoline alone, with a 0-62 MPH time of 4.4 seconds. Nice hybrid sports car.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_i8

30 is certainly not bad for what it is. Pretty sure the i3 would get significantly better mileage if they had upsized the gas engine a bit, I doubt it's a very efficient mill, the 650cc scooter engine they used isn't going to be 40% thermally efficient pushing around a 3000lb car. You'd of course have to make the car a little larger, or reduce passenger space a bit. Otherwise the rest of the work is basically done.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Ecky

Pretty sure the i3 would get significantly better mileage if they had upsized the gas engine a bit, I doubt it's a very efficient mill, the 650cc scooter engine they used isn't going to be 40% thermally efficient pushing around a 3000lb car. You'd of course have to make the car a little larger, or reduce passenger space a bit. Otherwise the rest of the work is basically done.

The gas engine is meant to be used very little in the i3, which seems crazy to me because building things with the intention of rarely using them is very inefficient. I'd never opt for the hybrid version of the i3. I'd use EV mode for the trips in which it was designed to accomplish, and take a more suitable vehicle for everything else, even if the i3 was my only vehicle. It would be extremely easy to trade a cool Bimmer with a friend for their ICE vehicle over a weekend.

[LeanBurn]

Here is the one you want...Porsche 918 Spyder
Combined fuel consumption in accordance with EU 5: 3.1-3.0 l/100 km

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc9UUPNaOzE

6:57 - Nordschleife

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by LeanBurn

Here is the one you want...Porsche 918 Spyder
Combined fuel consumption in accordance with EU 5: 3.1-3.0 l/100 km

6:57 - Nordschleife

And it hovers!

[freebeard]

I like the 918, but it's a little spendy. I'd settle for a Memminger Roadster 2.7




...with a mild hybrid created by adding a Buick laCrosse altermotor to the Type IV boxer mid-engine.

As for a production hybrid sports car, Toyota could have implemented the Alessandro Volta as early as 2004:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_concept_vehicles,_2000%E2%80%9309#Alessandr o_Volta

http://www.carstyling.ru/resources/studio/2004id_toyota_alessandro_volta_02.jpg

It has a well proven drive train out of a Highlander/LX400h SUV swapped end-for-end, with the V-6 in back. I have an example of the 68hp electric [rear] axle that may go in a VW Beetle some day.

[ksa8907]

Toyota 86 + Prius drive train adapted for rwd, double the battery and at least double the electric motor. Would be relatively inexpensive to do, I would think.

I'm waiting for the hybrid camaro, hopefully I dont have to wait too long.

[RedDevil]

There was a Porsche Panamera Turbo e-hybrid on our company carpark today, freeloading on 1 of our 4 client charging ports. The employee parking garage has a series of chargers too for our fleet of company Leafs.

We are doing something wrong. Our clients are rich...