The Autopocalypse Cometh: Ferrari Enzo Successor To Be A Hybrid?
October 6, 2011 by Kurt Ernst
Filed under Automotive, Ferrari, Hybrid
A Ferrari Enzo on a London Street. Image: Ed Callow
The original Ferrari Enzo, built from 2002 until 2004, was a no-compromise hypercar that borrowed heavily from Ferrari’s Formula One experience. It used a carbon-fiber monocoque, a carbon-fiber body, an electrohydraulic shift transmission and carbon-ceramic brakes. Power came from a mid-rear mounted 6.0-liter V-12 engine, good for 651 horsepower, and the handling was refined by none other than Michael Schumacher. Read more…
The Numbers Prove It: Consumers Aren’t Buying Hybrids
September 21, 2011 by Kurt Ernst
Filed under Automotive, Hybrid, News
The 2011 Lexus GS 450h, one of the few hybrids whose sales have increased. Image: Toyota
Over the next few years, expect to see a flood of new hybrid vehicles hit the market, as automakers scramble to reach the federally mandated corporate average fuel economy numbers recently approved by the Obama administration. By 2016, small passenger cars much achieve an average CAFE of 41 mpg; by 2021, just ten years from now, the value jumps to 51 mpg. Larger passenger cars must achieve 31 mpg by 2016 and 38 mpg by 2021. Read more…
2011 Lexus CT 200h Premium Hybrid Review & Test Drive
September 13, 2011 by Harvey Schwartz
Filed under Automotive, Featured, Hybrid, Lexus, Test Drives
‘LEXUS SCORES ANOTHER LONG RUNNER’
The all-new 2011 Lexus CT 200h hybrid is Lexus’s fifth hybrid and second dedicated hybrid. While all other hybrids from auto manufacturers, including Lexus and Toyota have been either hybrid sedans or sport utility vehicles, the all-new CT 200h is a versatile compact, five-door sport wagon that continues the brand’s commitment to unparalleled quality, sophistication and technology.
2011 Toyota Prius Hybrid Review & Test Drive
August 10, 2011 by Harvey Schwartz
Filed under Automotive, Featured, Hybrid, Test Drives, Toyota
‘THE ORIGINAL AND STILL THE BEST’
It has been a couple of years since I tested a new Toyota Prius hybrid but I have tested several other hybrids from the manufacturers who have started to build them.
I took a base two Prius and found that overall the hybrid is still the best with higher mpg specs, its unique styling, comfort and roominess and versatility.
2011 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid Review and Test Drive
July 27, 2011 by Malcolm Hogan
Filed under Automotive, Chevrolet, Featured, Hybrid, SUV, Test Drives
In a world still vastly filled with SUVs that consume monstrous amounts of fuel, the new 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid changes things from the norm by offering the most fuel efficient truck-based SUV on the market.
2012 Infiniti M35h Hybrid Review and Test Drive
July 26, 2011 by Harvey Schwartz
Filed under Automotive, Featured, Hybrid, Infiniti, Test Drives
‘BREAKING THROUGH YOUR EVERDAY HYBRID’
With V8 power and 4-cylinder fuel economy, the new Infiniti M35h hybrid challenges drivers to rethink everything they know about luxury sedan hybrids, including the word ‘compromise’. What makes what was previously thought impossible is now possible with the Infiniti M Hybrid’s unprecedented balance of three attributes: Power-the innovative one-motor, two-clutch parallel hybrid system in the Infiniti M35h delivers thrilling performance and is capable of driving in pure electric mode at speeds up to 62mph; Luxury-maintaining the Infiniti M sedan’s engaging driving feel and extensive array of standard comfort, luxury and convenience features; Efficiency-utilizing the Infiniti Direct Response Hybrid system, with a powerful yet compact Lithium-ion battery pack, advanced 3.5 liter V6 engine, 50kW electric motor, connected to an electronic 7-speed automatic/sequential shifting transmission helps achieve an estimated fuel economy of 32mpg/highway and 27mpg/city with a net horsepower rating of 360.
Ken Block Shows Off His Latest Hybrid
July 25, 2011 by Kurt Ernst
Filed under Automotive, Ford, Hybrid, Video
If you’re an enthusiast, the word “hybrid” probably conjures up images of a Toyota Prius, being driven at one mile per hour below the speed limit, in the left lane, by some eco-fanatic attempting to squeeze the last tenth of a mile per gallon from the car’s anemic engine and motor. That’s what I think of at least, and I’ve never driven a hybrid with any kind of serious entertainment value. Not all hybrids are created alike, and the term “hybrid” doesn’t always apply to the powertrain alone. Read more…
Toyota Reveals Prius Performance Plus Package
July 1, 2011 by Kurt Ernst
Filed under Automotive, Hybrid, News, Toyota
The Toyota Prius Performance Plus Package. Image: Toyota
Go ahead and snicker, but I’ll tell you this flat out: a 2011 Toyota Prius equipped with the soon-available Performance Plus Package will lap a racetrack faster than a stock Prius and (probably) faster than a Lexus CT200h. It’s also faster around a racetrack than a bicycle, moped, desert tortoise or banana slug, but let’s be honest here: a Prius with no engine work and moderate suspension tuning isn’t going to be setting any lap records, at least not compared to other automobiles. Read more…
