Not disagreeing with your premise, but as always the question is "at what cost and weight penalty?"
Instead of alternatively fueled engines, I'm more interested in what manufacturers are doing with drivetrain improvements. Exhibit A is the upcoming sensational Corvette Z06 that will have a lightweight, full auto 8-speed that shifts more quickly than a DCT and will achieve an estimated 30 mpg highway. Impressive for a car with it's capabilities and price point.
http://articles.sae.org/12782/
Quote:
Originally Posted by cfusionpm
Imagine what it will do for midrange sports cars. Yeah, Toyota have lots of hybrid experience, but all of their hybrids are painfully dull. McLaren and Porsche have already translated modern hybrid technology to road cars in the P1 and 918, but I'll be even more excited when it trickles down to the 20-30k range.
Picking up a beefy grunt car like a Mustang or Camaro means gas mileage in the teens. What if they could be supplemented with an ERS system that was driven off the engine or brakes. Something to both boost power and increase gas mileage.
Now look at your average Japanese sport car, either a torqueless wonder like us, or a 16mpg turbo. Well, use the turbo to drive an electric generator which can deliver performance on demand and economy when you want it and I'm sold.
The CR-Z from Honda was a step in the right direction, but still pretty slow. Give a combined output around 300-350hp with fuel economy above 50mpg and now we're talking.
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