My thoughts on hybrids are kinda mixed. With the conventional hybrid system, you do get to capture a lot of the energy you lose while braking and sitting idle in traffic, but at the same time you're also carrying around two separate power trains, and the fuel savings need to outweigh the increase in mass (pun not intentional), and compared to diesel, I'm not sure if they do. The other system - essentially range-extended electric - is a lot more attractive on paper, but impractical for anyone that doesn't have a garage where they can safely charge their car overnight, which is a pretty small part of the car-buying public. And of course you still have the issue of carrying around the engine/generator, while in order to maximize efficiency you want to not use it. Plus, I'm not sure if our power grid can handle a switch to electric, or if we have the necessary money to expand it. More nuclear power is a pretty sure-fire way to political suicide these days but it's going to be pretty necessary and pretty soon.

Still, as Leno's fond of saying, the last days of an old technology are always better than the first days of a new technology. Though if you think hybrids are new, you should read up on the 1913 Owen Magnetic.

My thoughts on hybrids are kinda mixed. With the conventional hybrid system, you do get to capture a lot of the energy you lose while braking and sitting idle in traffic, but at the same time you're also carrying around two separate power trains, and the fuel savings need to outweigh the increase in mass (pun not intentional), and compared to diesel, I'm not sure if they do. The other system - essentially range-extended electric - is a lot more attractive on paper, but impractical for anyone that doesn't have a garage where they can safely charge their car overnight, which is a pretty small part of the car-buying public. And of course you still have the issue of carrying around the engine/generator, while in order to maximize efficiency you want to not use it. Plus, I'm not sure if our power grid can handle a switch to electric, or if we have the necessary money to expand it. More nuclear power is a pretty sure-fire way to political suicide these days but it's going to be pretty necessary and pretty soon.

Still, as Leno's fond of saying, the last days of an old technology are always better than the first days of a new technology. Though if you think hybrids are new, you should read up on the 1913 Owen Magnetic.

Oh I know hybrids are nothing new. What's funny is the idea of a city with charging stations at every corner sounds incredibly futuristic to us. Maybe in 2020 we can all park our Teslas and just plug em in while we go shopping! Aren't we smart! They had that 100 years ago, women would park their Baker Electrics for a day of shopping, and plug them in to Edison chargers.

Diesel is fantastic in a car like the Audi SQ5, but I don't see Audi making RS cars with diesel engines any time soon. Same with Porsche. Panamera or Cayenne diesel yes. 911 diesel - NO.

For the next decade at least, the most likely engines in performance cars will be relatively small displacement direct-injected V6s and V8s with either turbos or superchargers. There's no reason why these engines can't replace today's V-10s and V-12s. The Jaguar XJ220 could run with any hyper car in its day, and it had a TT V6.

Wow. Impressive. Reminds me of the old "V-Tech just kicked in, yo" meme, only for real.

Iunno tho, hypercars don't seem like they'd be as fun to actually drive as supercars after a while. They're mostly about showing off and looking impossibly cool, and blasting it around a ring would be awesome, but in an actual track with lots of turns and whatnot, am I wrong for thinking the Italia would be a better driver's car? The Koenigseggegegegegeggeg seems like it would be really unwieldy. Like trying to steer an atom bomb.

Wow. Impressive. Reminds me of the old "V-Tech just kicked in, yo" meme, only for real.

Iunno tho, hypercars don't seem like they'd be as fun to actually drive as supercars after a while. They're mostly about showing off and looking impossibly cool, and blasting it around a ring would be awesome, but in an actual track with lots of turns and whatnot, am I wrong for thinking the Italia would be a better driver's car? The Koenigseggegegegegeggeg seems like it would be really unwieldy. Like trying to steer an atom bomb.

I think it depends on the level of driver skill. It's like when Hammond drove the Renault R25 F1 car for Top Gear. He started practicing in a mini-me Formula Renault, a car with a little 2.0L engine. For most people who aren't pro racers, the Formula Renault would probably be more enjoyable to actually drive. The power and the limits are within the mortal realm. When you get to the F1 level, you're at the bleeding edge of what's possible, and what's more it doesn't even work properly unless you're going far faster than most people think they're even capable of. That's just terror, not fun.

Taking the Koenigsegg on a track like VIR and trying to push it to the limit would require WAY more skill than most people will ever have behind the wheel. I think most people would be better off, and would have more fun in a Caterham.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGUZJVY-sHo