VIDEO: Ferrari's HY-KERS system explained in 3D animation

A hybrid supercar isn't exactly what we could expect from Ferrari, especially after the 458 Italia with its beautiful naturally aspirated V8 that pumps out 562 Hp. The fact is, the word "hybrid" has a pejorative meaning for petrol heads. Somehow, it reminds us (me) of a Toyota Prius-like car. Not that the Toyota Prius is bad car, but that the last word you can use to describe it is "sporty".

Ferrari is looking towards the future, and by unveiling the 599GTB HY-KERS concept earlier this month, they made another step. And knowing that they are working on zero-lag turobchargers for their Enzo successor, i think that the standards they set to their selves are high enough for not letting a hybrid car go out of the Maranello factory without an obvious gain in performance.

Enough said. In this video you can watch a short but clear explanation of how the electric motor works with the combustion engine.



(source: gtspirit)

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Which "green" machine do you prefer?

The 2010 Geneva Motor Show edition saw the presentation of two green Italian Beauties. But the similarities between the two models stop there. In fact, while the Ferrari 599GTB HY-KERS is a Hybrid concept using a technology similar to the KERS system used in the 2009 F1 season by Ferrari and some other teams, the Lambo is a more extreme (non hybrid) version and the most powerful yet of the Gallardo.

The two cars go in two different directions. The Lambo philosophy is simple: more power and less weight. But on the Ferrari side things get a bit more complicated with extra electric power and... more weight.



The 100Hp electric motor used in the 599 HY-KERS is attached to the rear of the 7 speed F1 gear box and gets electricity from a Lithium ion battery mounted on the chassis in a way that helps the car keep the same weight distribution over the standard 599GTB which means similar handling as well. The extra electric power generated from braking will help the car deal with the extra weight and lower its fuel consumption while CO2 emissions are said to be improved by 35%. A production version is planned to come sometimes near 2015 which leaves to Ferrari the time to improve its hybrid technologies and focus on weight saving.



When talking about the Gallardo things become more easy: lighter and more powerful. With a weight of 1340 Kg and a 570 Hp high rev Lamborghini V10, the new Superleggera is capable of doing the 0 to 100 km/H (0-62mph) sprint in 3.4 seconds and can reach a top speed of 324 Km/h (202 mph).

Some of the most noticeable changes are the Reventon styled front air intakes, the rear spoiler and a huge rear diffuser. Weight saving has been achieved by the extensive use of carbon fiber. Howevver, the car keeps air conditioning and electric windows.


Ferrari 599GTB Fiorano HY-KERS Concept









Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera












Which one would you chose? For me, the ranging bull is the obvious choice, at least for the moment.

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Sweden's new beast

Until you'll be able to see Koenigsegg's latest supercar in the flesh in the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, the guys from GTspirit.com got their hands on these very first high quality renderings of the Swedish supercar. Apart from its front facia, the new supercar called "Agera" clearly reminds us of its predecessor, the CCX. But you can not really complain about that as the CCX (along with the Pagani Zonda) is one of those hypercars that make you wonder if it could even get better.

Maybe the more significant change is under the bonnet where now you can find the 4.7L Koenigsegg V8 from the CCX tuned to produce: 910 Hp. The Agera has a weight of 1284 Kg which allows it to have an astonishing weight to power ratio thanks to its ultralight carbon fiber chassis and bodywork. This will help the car provide endless acceleration until it hits 395km/h (245 mph) with 100 km/h (62 mph) coming right after 3.1 seconds. Frightening numbers which, judging by the performance of the Agera's predecessors, are all but overestimated.

Until we get more real world pictures of the Swedish beast check out the pictures below and don't forget to visit GTspirit for more details.

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Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car: "Hybrid" isn't always pejorative

The term "hybrid" used to be synonymous with low performance. But things started to change since hybrid technology has been introduced in Formula One, and now even high performance car makers like BMW //M and Ferrari began to plan hybrid technology for their performance road cars.

The Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid which is due to be publicly unveiled in the Geneva Motor Show next March uses a hybrid system in the kind of the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) used in Formula One in the 2009 season.

The GT3 R Hybrid uses an electrical flywheel power generator instead of batteries for power storage (a flywheel is a device that stores energy mechanically as rotation energy, if you are interested to know more about this old but efficient technology go to this page).

Under braking, the two electric motors mounted on the front axle act like generators and the flywheel is charged with speeds of this latter exeeding 40,000rpm. The system allows the driver to use the stored energy to get extra power from the two electric motors (60KW each) during 6 to 8 seconds. Clever and simple.

After the unveiling at Geneva, the new GT3 R Hybrid race car is planned to take on the Nürburgring 24 hours challenge next May.

2010 Geneva Motor Show Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid from Engined Beasts on Vimeo.

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