GTE
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Drako's $1.2 million EV supercar goes drifting on an ice lake
Drako took its 1,200 horsepower GTE supercar EV around a snow track and ice lake to show what its 4WD torque-vectoring system could do.
Volkswagen's 2021 GTI adds a hybrid powertrain and tech-filled interior
Last year Volkswagen unveiled its new eighth-generation Golf, and now for the Geneva Motor Show it's revealing some performance-tuned variants. The good news is that the 2021 GTI has more horsepower inside with an updated EA888 engine that manages 245hp, up from 228 in the previous model. It also includes the Golf's new "Digital Cockpit" that ditches analog dials for a 10.25-inch display and 10-inch navigation system, plus ambient lighting with 30 available colors. The bad news, as Autoblog notes, is that a plug-in hybrid GTE version (and diesel-powered GTD edition) will only be available in Europe. Specs reveal the GTE pairs a 150hp 1.4-liter turbocharged engine with an 85Kw electric motor and lithium-ion battery. Operating together, they're rated for the same 245HP as the gas GTI and can manage up to 37 miles of range in all-electric mode. Naturally, the styling and suspension are updated for these hot hatch models, and now the active damping setting allows drivers to set and store their personal preferences via a digital slider. There's no word yet on pricing, but we expect to see these on sale later this year.
Drako's GTE electric supercar will be a four-motor, 1,200HP monster
The new Tesla Roadster won't be the only wildly overpowered electric supercar arriving in the near future. Drako Motors (a startup created by Barracuda Networks co-founder Dean Drako) has unveiled the GTE, an electric sedan that's built to take on the most powerful cars regardless of their powerplant. It revolves around a four-motor direct drive system that delivers 1,200HP and a whopping 6,500ft/lb of torque -- while that's not the most horsepower ever (a Bugatti Chiron musters 1,479HP), it could have fearsome off-the-line acceleration. The company hasn't delivered an official 0-60MPH time just yet, so it can't quite claim bragging rights.
Volkswagen's Golf GTE is the fast plug-in hybrid you might actually buy
There aren't many quick plug-in hybrids with reasonable price tags, but Volkswagen may just lower the cost of eco-friendly performance with its newly unveiled Golf GTE. The hot hatchback mates a 148HP gas engine with a 101HP electric motor, giving the Golf enough combined power to reach 62MPH in 7.6 seconds -- pretty brisk for a plug-in that should still be affordable and practical. If you're not always in such a rush, you can run purely on electric power for 31 miles. The big catch? At present, VW has no plans to release the GTE in the US. Americans will likely have to book European vacations if they want to see the sporty hybrid in person.
Sigma Motorworks developing EV based on Ford Mustang
With Tesla struggling to make ends meet -- let alone become a thriving, profitable automaker during a time when all people want are non-gas-powered vehicles -- we have to say that Sigma Motorworks has its work cut out for it here. According to head of operations Matias Gorfinkiel, the Sigma GTE is "a test bed for a commercial high performance sports model that [it] will bring to market by early 2010." Autoblog reports that most of the vehicle is based on Ford's storied Mustang, with its front and rear differentials coming directly from Ford and the GTE cockpit ripped straight from an older model Pony car. If all goes well (which isn't likely, honestly), it'll provide around 100 miles per charge and could hit upwards of 145 miles per hour; of course, finding the funding to put this thing together is another matter entirely, so don't go placing a pre-order via some Nigerian-based sister site just yet.[Image courtesy of AutoblogGreen]
