Porsche 918 Spyder - Record Lapper
Not only does it look great, the 918 Spyder that there's
more than one way to skin a cat - or break the lap record at the Nurburgring.
Walter Rohrl blasted around the legendary circuit in 6 minutes and 57 sec to
set a new production-car mark, but of considerably more significance than the
time itself was the car's drivetrain. Hybrid drive is not just for
bunny-hugging save-the-whalers: it’s for unmitigated performance junkies, too.
Porsche 918 Spyder
BMW 18 - Extremes
The latest iteration of BMW's sustainable supercar occupied
a surprisingly low-key role at Frankfurt - the i3 (below, right) got much of
the attention. But it yet again provided evidence, if more was needed, that the
big guns (think McLaren P1 and Porsche 918) can squeeze serious performance out
of a hybrid drivetrain. Broadly speaking, the i8 is minimally changed from its
original concept form, albeit that it now has PHEV as opposed to full EV drive.
So yes, we can have a hybrid supercar; the real question is,
will people buy it?
BWM 18
VW E-Mobility - Driving the new wave
A year ago, I drove Nissan's Leaf in South Africa and came
away impressed with the car's sheer drivability and practicality, if not its
gimmicky new-wave display. Only one aspect, really, had me worried: range
anxiety. It needed concentration to ensure that, in local conditions, the range
of about 50 km on a full charge was sufficient.
The electric version of Volkswagen's UP minicar is something
else again. Having driven one at Frankfurt, I've concluded that, with today's
electric cars, you really can have your cake and eat it.
Range anxiety? Not at all, even when you take the wrong exit
from a roundabout and, instead of pottering around the sidestreets, find
yourself screaming down a four-lane freeway peppered with signs pointing
towards Basel, 300 kilometres away. We started our little odyssey with 138 km
showing on the range-ometer, and finished it with 108, having regenerated a
couple of kilowatt hours. And this wasn't a leisurely drive, either: it
included a few moments - only mildly panicky ones, it has to be said -
involving a vigorous stamp on the accelerator pedal to blast into the fast
lane. Actually, it wasn't nearly as frantic as it sounds. The e-UP quite
comfortably kept up with and passed fast-moving traffic on the freeway.
VW E-Mobility
Dr Lars Hofmann, head of Technology for VW Group E-Traction,
told us in a predrive briefing based on the company's modular strategy, it
would soon be rolling out 40 new models with alternative drivetrains. “Even
fuel cell will be possible, as well as EV and gas power,” he says.
The three models available to try on the e-mobility drive
included the VW E-Up, Audi A3 sportback E-tron and Porsche Panamera hybrid.
The Audi, a plug-in hybrid, manages 50 km on electric power
and 940 km in total on a full tank of petrol. “This is definitely a
long-distance car,” Hoffman says. “But it is sporty, with a 150 kW output.”
You want sporty? The big Porsche is rated at 306 kW, with a
270 km/h top speed and a 0-100 km/h time of 5,55 seconds. Yet on electric power
alone, it will reach an impressive 135 km/h.
In the real world, described as “World champion in
efficiency”, the e-Up is rated at 3,02 Euro per 100 km, based on an energy cost
of 0,258 Euro per kWh. Its nippy yet frugal nature is absolutely appealing, and
though its finish may look better than it feels, it seems a quality product.
Still, there's a big But: although described as affordable e-mobility, there's
no question that, from our point of view, it is expensive.
Hybrid Panamera
drivetrain
