Hybrid Car of the Year Nominees

Over the past few weeks we have been awarding the best performance cars of the year in various categories. We now come to a category that just a few years ago didn’t exist for a performance car. The Hybrid Car of the Year.

This is the category that represents the future of the sports car. Currently, most of the entrants are extremely high priced supercars (with one exception), but with strict government regulations more and more vehicles will look at hybrid drivetrains to bridge the gap from gas powered to electric powered automobiles.

Porsche 918 Spyder

The Porsche 918 Spyder is the car that started this category (or at least was the first concept to be seen by the public). It has a great mid-mounted V8 engine that provides good power, but add in the electric motors and you get 887 combined horsepower. That’s enough power to melt off your face and yet this is one of the least powerful cars in this category (only the BMW has less power). Even with less horsepower the 918 Spyder holds the production car lap record at the Nurburgring with a 6 minute 57 second lap time. Yeah, it’s plenty quick.

Ferrari LaFerrari

The Ferrari LaFerrari may be a hybrid, but it isn’t exactly trying to save the planet. It is a V12 powered exotic that has the gas engine always running, unlike the competition. It only uses the electric motors to boost the power output. So just how powerful is it? Try 949 horses. It is an uncompromising machine where the seat is fitted to the carbon tub (you get no actual seat adjustments, but you can move the pedals and steering wheel) to help it ride even lower than other supercars. The LaFerrari screams Italian supercar in every sense of the word.

McLaren P1

The McLaren P1 is in many ways similar to the Porsche 918 Spyder. Both cars have V8 mid-mounted gas engines and electric motors that aid in fuel economy. The P1 can be driven a full six miles in electric only mode. What it has over the Porsche is power. It offers 903 horsepower when the hybrid system puts all of its recourses together. It also managed a Nurburgring lap time of under 7 minutes although McLaren will not release the exact time (more than likely because it came in slower than the 918 Spyder).

BMW i8

Now that we have seen all of the extremely high priced (and may we add sold out) hybrids, it’s time to come back to the real world. The BMW i8 is certainly the most attainable car in this group, but that isn’t to say it’s cheap. Starting at $140,700 it is over $40,000 more than you would pay for a new 911 Carrera S and even with all its hybrid tricks it only offers 375 horses which is 25 less than the before mentioned 911.

So. It isn’t a car you buy because it’s the best performing or a good value. It is a car that shows the way to the future of the mainstream sports car. It has concept car looks and is a good drive, but remember it’s technology in many ways is still in its infancy.

And The Winner Is…

The Ferrari LaFerrari comes in at the top. Its uncompromising use of the hybrid technology is something we love. It may not save the planet in the way it is used, but to have the hybrid boost with a full time V12 just screams at you. We recently had a chance to see the Farrari LaFerrari, Porsche 918 Spyder and McLaren P1 at the same event and while all three are just incredible the LaFerrari was our favorite.

It will now take on all the winners of the other categories in the TSCG awards as we choose this year’s Performance Car of the Year.