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Honda Small Hybrid Sports Concept
Honda's new hybrid sports car concept may foreshadow a second generation Insight

Toyota unveiled its first hybrid sports car concept, the Volta, in 2004 and just recently showcased its FT-HS Hybrid Sports Concept at the Detroit Auto Show. However, Toyota isn't the only company looking to bring hybrid technology to small sports cars.

Archrival Honda wants back into the game and will unveil its Small Hybrid Sports Concept at the Geneva Auto Show. Not much is known about the hybrid other than the fact that it was designed by Honda R&D Europe in Offenbach, Germany. And from the image on the right, the new car is miles ahead of the tadpole-esque Honda Insight.

AUTOCAR.co.uk believes that the Concept will foreshadow the production version of the second generation Insight, which is to be introduced in 2008. The car is expected to be similar in size to the current generation Civic and will be priced under the Toyota Prius.

The first generation Honda Insight was the first gasoline-electric hybrid automobile to be sold in the United States. The tiny 2-seater weighed just 1,850 pounds, was powered by a 73HP 3-cylinder engine and achieved EPA mileage ratings of 60/66 MPG city/highway.

Also on tap for the Geneva Auto Show is a fully functioning FCX Concept. The concept will feature Honda's FC Stack which DailyTech profiled in September. Honda estimates that the FCX Concept will offer a driving range of 354 miles and a top speed of 100 MPH.

Toyota and Honda aren't the only companies looking to bring hybrid and fuel cell technologies to the masses. GM is developing a "plug-in" gasoline-electric hybrid for production in 2009 while Ford is working on a flexible "HySeries Drive" platform to provide gasoline, diesel and fuel cell hybrid electric powertrain options.

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Hybrid Sports Sedan Already Exists
By krotchy on 2/5/2007 9:58:52 AM , Rating: 2
Its called the Lexus GS 450h, and its fast as heck. However it gets a whopping 23mpg, lol. Although for the performance it should be getting like 12 mpg.

Honestly, I would like to see hybrid engines being applied to more areas than just small cars which were already energy efficient. Id rather see a hybrid hummer getting 25+ mpg, than a hybrid civic getting 50+, because the hummers and other wasters are the problem, not the little economy cars.

That being said this is a good step, Im just being cynical.




RE: Hybrid Sports Sedan Already Exists
By yacoub on 2/5/2007 10:07:48 AM , Rating: 2
Key word in your post: SEDAN.

They're talking about a sports car, not a sporty sedan.


RE: Hybrid Sports Sedan Already Exists
By ksherman on 2/5/2007 10:57:35 AM , Rating: 2
Isnt that lexus an SUV too?


RE: Hybrid Sports Sedan Already Exists
By Jedi2155 on 2/5/2007 12:17:55 PM , Rating: 2
That's the GS400h


By Brandon Hill (blog) on 2/5/2007 12:25:29 PM , Rating: 2
Wrong ;)

GS450h = sedan hybrid based on the GS350
RX400h = SUV hybrid based on the RX330


RE: Hybrid Sports Sedan Already Exists
By lucyfek on 2/5/07, Rating: -1
By Spivonious on 2/5/2007 10:41:17 AM , Rating: 2
I think you missed the sarcasm. And the "lol."


By Kuroyama on 2/5/2007 10:54:48 AM , Rating: 2
What part of "lol" and "cynical" don't you understand? "Whopping" was meant to be sarcastic.

Re hybrid hummer, if people bought a hybrid Hummer instead of a regular one then it would save a lot more gas than people like me buying a Prius instead of a Camry. However, if they buy the hybrid Hummer instead of a Ford Escape then obviously it's a rather pointless exercise. Environmentalism is great, but until you give people a financial incentive to be efficient -- such as saving $$ on gas or getting more power on less gas money -- then most people won't be bothered to pay attention.


RE: Hybrid Sports Sedan Already Exists
By Xenoterranos on 2/5/2007 11:48:00 AM , Rating: 2
I couldn't agree more. I drive a pick-up truck that wouldn't even notice the extra couple hundred pounds of batteries. The things I'd do for a hybrid (*true* hybrid) truck, it makes me giddy thinking of the posibilities. If I could get 30 mpg while towing, I think I'd probably die. Hell, 30 mpg city would be a godsend.
(BTW, I drive a v6 dodge ram 1500 (new style), at about ~60 miles a day, mostly city--still sucks down about $10 a day. Roughly 250miles to the tank.)


RE: Hybrid Sports Sedan Already Exists
By Spivonious on 2/5/2007 2:47:43 PM , Rating: 2
You're towing things around a city for 60 miles a day? Wow that would get old really fast.


By AxemanFU on 2/5/2007 5:22:52 PM , Rating: 2
It happens.. I drive a long bed truck, and I'm the most popular person around every time a friend or relative needs to move furniture, or move to a new house or apartment. I'd jump at a chance to get 25mpg instead of 17, trust me, but it is useless to me if it can't carry the same loads and tow the same trailer weights. Technology to the rescue...maybe a diesel-electric truck...


RE: Hybrid Sports Sedan Already Exists
By sabby1225 on 2/5/07, Rating: 0
By Xenoid on 2/5/2007 4:54:55 PM , Rating: 2
The GTO has a different thing going for it. First off the LSx engines are beautiful, but the GTO never really took off and they're still on lots. I would own one in a heartbeat though.

To be fair, most $55k cars that run on gasoline can get the same mileage as the hybrid $55k mentioned here. I was getting 18/35+ mpg on my E36 325i. Highway mileage was around 35 to 45 mpg so I'm not sure what it really was. City 18mpg but that's what happens when you floor it everywhere and have a 14 year old engine. Old tech does that.


.
By semo on 2/5/2007 10:40:42 AM , Rating: 2
so what's the definition of a sports car these days?

when i hear sports car i think race track (or is that for race cars?). whatever the case is, once you step on it you start losing the benefits from the electric motor pretty fast. as fast, in fact, as the batteries lose charge.

btw, i'm all for plug in (mostly diesel) hybrids. just so unfortunate batteries have to be made by toxic chemicals.




RE: .
By PandaBear on 2/5/2007 12:29:45 PM , Rating: 2
Rear wheel drive, top 10% in handling, top 10% in stopping power, comes from the factory with <45 profile summer tires with Z or above rating, manual transmission (or dual clutch auto, DSG), and BTW, 2 doors only.


RE: .
By walk2k on 2/5/2007 12:41:23 PM , Rating: 2
Stop talking about Hummers. That is a niche vehicle for the very wealthy and there are not that many of them on the road. If you want to talk about gas guzzling global warming-mobiles, talk about the millions of Ford and GM pickup trucks and "SUV"s on the road today. Start getting hybrid/FC engines in those (or just stop driving them, what the fuck is wrong with you people anyway? Small dick syndrome?) and then you're starting to make a difference.

But let's be honest, Americans don't care about fuel economy, stop pretending like we do.


RE: .
By Meklaar on 2/5/2007 1:20:20 PM , Rating: 2
Well, some people like to drive pick-up trucks because they sure can carry a lot more than your average sedan. Ever try to fit a queen size bed in a sedan? I think not! Some people buy SUVs because they can hold a lot of people, usually more than a sedan, and are more attractive than your typical minivan.

Now what I don't understand are the two-door 5-person mini-SUV. That's just ridiculous.


RE: .
By Spivonious on 2/5/2007 2:49:10 PM , Rating: 2
Ever get the free delivery and set up of a queen size bed?

And your average sedan fits 5 people comfortably. You average SUV fits 4 people comfortably.


RE: .
By walk2k on 2/5/2007 3:43:22 PM , Rating: 2
Yeah I hear this a lot. "But I need to haul stuff rarely sometimes!" Or "but, we go skiing once or twice a year!"

Of course if you need a truck for work that's one thing. But hey here's an idea, if you have an application where you need a truck once, twice a year maybe, RENT ONE and drive a normal sized car the other 360+ days.

The other one I get is, "but I have kids"! How many freakin kids do you have anyway? Stop having so many kids! Anyway, when I was a kid we did just fine with our station wagons (of course they had V8s and got pretty lousy mileage, but they could do a lot better nowadays, what ever happened to the station wagon anyway??). I mean, are your kids 10 feet tall and weigh 800 pounds each that you need a Yukon Expedition XXXLT+ with the 7.9 liter V12?


Face it, Americans just have a fascination with huge trucks and SUVs and don't give a crap about other people on the planet. After all we can just have another war if we need more oil.


RE: .
By Jkm3141 on 2/5/2007 4:11:53 PM , Rating: 2
Mabye you should just accept the fact that there are situations for having trucks in America. Try living somewhere that avg.'s 100+ inches of snow a year, and then tell me you will be alright with just a small station wagon? My family owns a Chevy Silverado 1500 V6, and a Ford Escort station wagon. We drive the station wagon in the summers, and the Truck in the winters when you actually need it. Granted we drive the truck when we need to move stuff (which is quite often between the family hobbies of a full sailboat and working on cars). Take your arrogant ideas someplace where where they might be true.