The Emergence of the Hybrid Hypercar

From 2009 to today, hybrid cars have gained greater appeal and acceptance among car enthusiasts. Moreover, in the last two years of the Le Mans 24-hour race, hybrid cars have scored big victories. Companies like Porsche, Toyota, and Audi now make hybrid cars that feature petrol-electric and diesel-electric powertrains, some with outputs of 1,000bnp or more.

After Jaguar abandoned their C-X75 hybrid supercar, Porsche announced the 918 Spyder. Porsche engineers designed a car that was powered by a combination of a V8 and electric motors which sent power to the front and rear axles with 875bhp and 944lb ft of torque. Moreover, it could reach 100 mph in electric-only mode and at slower speeds was capable of covering more than 20 zero-emission miles.

Surpassing the 918 Spyder at Nurburgring Nordschleife came the P1, designed by McLaren. When the P1 tested its performance at Nürburgring Nordschleife, it lapped the 13 mile track in under seven minutes. McLaren has withheld additional details concerning the lap time. The P1’s upgrades include a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 which is increased by electric power, which in turn allows it to produce 903bhp and 664lb ft of torque transmitted (via the rear-wheels only). The P1 is a plug-in hybrid just like the 918 and can run in electric-only despite its high-performance capability.