LIGHT MY FIRE

Hybrids went from heckled to heroic, but how?

It wasn’t all that long ago that hybridpowered cars were dismissed as a punchline in the car community, written off as soulless city drivers with nothing to o er outside e ciency and reduced emissions. But three hybrid hypercars flipped the script a little over 10 years ago: the Porsche 918, the McLaren P1, and the Ferrari LaFerrari, all widely admired for their worldchanging performance capabilities.

The turn of a new decade has fulfilled the prophecy that this trinity set out: that hybrid power is the future of performance. Today’s hybrid performance cars pick up where the legendary trio left off and push the envelope even further, achieving immense power figures and contributing to incredible performance.

But what is it about hybridization that called for such an about-face?

Cars like the Lamborghini Revuelto, Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, and Ferrari SF90 Stradale use hybridization in clever ways to gain higher performance with lower emissions.

For many such supercars, hybridization has unlocked the potential for all-wheel drive, which can allow for improved handling and acceleration. Often, electric motors will drive the front wheels while the combustion engine is responsible for the rear. Another ingenious use of hybrid power can be seen in the Ferrari SF90 Stradale — its eight-speed transmis- sion lacks a reverse gear, so the electric motors take care of it. When going allout on a straightaway, hybrid supercars enlist the electric motor to continue delivering power and impressive torque when the engine needs help, seen prominently in the McLaren F1.

Hybridization in a performance context has reached beyond supercars. The new Mercedes-AMG S 63 E Performance, with its hybrid system, is the most powerful Mercedes-Benz S-Class ever made. With the help of electric motors, the large luxury sedan rockets from 0 to 60 in just 3.3 seconds.

In the ever-expanding arena of luxury performance SUVs, BMW’s XM is a hybrid and the first M-exclusive car since the legendary M1 supercar of the 1980s. Its upcoming Label Red version will sport 748 horsepower, making it the most powerful seriesproduction model in BMW M’s history. Now known for its all-electric cars, Polestar debuted with a hybrid grand touring coupe, which paired a fourcylinder, twin-charged engine with a plug-in hybrid system to generate 600 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque.

Whether it’s in supercars that push engineering capabilities forward, or in performance sedans, SUVs, or coupes, hybrid technology has gone from lambasted to lauded, and it’s shaping up to be at the center of an exciting chapter of automotive performance.

Hybrids pack a punch. The Mercedes-AMG S 63 E Performance, for example, sets a record as the most powerful S-Class ever made.

WHETHER IT’S IN SUPERCARS THAT PUSH ENGINEERING CAPABILITIES FORWARD, OR IN PERFORMANCE SEDANS, SUVS, OR COUPES, HYBRID TECHNOLOGY HAS GONE FROM LAMBASTED TO LAUDED, AND IT’S SHAPING UP TO BE AT THE CENTER OF AN EXCITING CHAPTER OF AUTOMOTIVE PERFORMANCE.

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