italdesign hybrid concept

 The fastest hybrid concept car in the world" Italdesign's press release boasts. Italdesign says the unnamed car, co-developed with Brit Frazer Nash, will hit 62 mph in under four seconds on its way to a top speed of 186 mph. And remember how the Quaranta concept got 37.5 mpg? That's kid's stuff. This car will travel 31 miles on a quarter of a gallon of gas. Do the math and that works out to 124 mpg. To top it all off, it emits just 0.18 lbs of CO2 per mile. To put that in perspective, the current generation Toyota Prius emits twice as much CO2, 0.37 lb per mile.
The question, of course, is: how do they do it? Careful management of weight appears to be the key here. The body is made of aluminum and carbon, while the chassis itself is made of carbon-fiber. No specific figures have been given, but it will likely weigh in under the Quaranta's 3100-lb curb weight. As for the power source, Italdesign will only say that the car uses an electric-drive system mated to a "medium-powered" engine. In the Quaranta, it was Toyota's 3.3L V-6 and Hybrid Synergy Drive lifted from the Lexus RX 400h, so another Toyota-derived powertrain is a possibility.
In the cockpit, Italdesign promises you'll find "exquisitely tailored upholstery" and some very comfy seats. In fact, Italdesign boasts that the seat ergonomics were specially researched and engineered by their in-house Italdesign Design Center. On the outside, the provided sketch shows a car reminiscent of contemporary Lamborghinis, some of which designer Fabrizio Giugiaro had a hand in designing

italdesign hybrid concept

 italdesign hybrid concept

 italdesign hybrid concept

italdesign hybrid concept