Photo Lamborghini Gallardo courtesy Lamborghini
Normally, you would not use the words hybrid and Lamborghini in the same sentence. But everybody wants to jump on the green car bandwagon, so get used to it, because the super fast, super expensive car go hybrid by 2015, so start saving your pennies now.
The hybrid Lambo will arrive the same year as the hybrid Ferrari announced recently. What a coincidence. The Ferrari hybrid concept will be on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2009, and likely sooner, at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September.
News about the hybrid Lamborghini is in Popular Science, quoting an interview with Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann in the German car magazine Automobilewoche (Auto Week).
The hybrid Lambo will join other high-end names going green. Mercedes is introducing two hybrids, the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid sedan, which uses a powerful lithium-ion battery, and the ML 450h hybrid SUV. Both arrive the end of 2009. And, the 2010 Porsche Cayenne hybrid SUV is also due the end of 2009.
The hybrid Lamborghini will have the same system as the 2010 Toyota Prius and other passenger hybrids -- an electric motor to propel the car fully at slow speeds, such as stop and go city and rush hour highway traffic. A traditional, hunky Lambo 10- or 12-cylinder gasoline engine will take over at higher speeds.
There's an entirely different hybrid system currently used in both Formula One and Indy Car systems. A hybrid Corsa Ginetta Zytek has been finishing in the top five in recent American Le Mans races.
I've driven a Lamborghini Gallardo on a racetrack. Yea, yea, I know -- tough job, but somebody's got to do it. There's a reason the Lambo's symbol is a raging bull, because it has its own mind. I've also driven a Ferrari F430 on a racetrack -- same day, same track, both cars. And there's a reason Ferrari's symbol is a prancing horse.
Lamborghini, BTW, is owned by Volkswagen. So is Bentley.
Comments
Since the production volume of Lambos and other teenage boy fantasy cars are so low, I tend not to pay them much attention. The people buying and driving Lambos likely aren't giving a rip about the energy consumption of their yachts, mansions, et al.
However, the downside to vehicles like hybrid Hummers and Lambos is that dim witted celebs will buy them and believe they're making a difference when they are not. Fortunately people are somewhat clued in to this sort of greenwashing.
Oh well. So long as they pay their carbon tax on the vehicle.
Did you hear? Hummer is making a green halo vehicle, too. ;-)
Hi, Exotic Car colleague Kae Davis -- Yes, I wrote about the hybrid Hummer when Raser Technologies announced it in April, for Earth Day. You can find it under my 'slime green news' category, because I think it was slimey to announce the news on Earth Day.
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