The Era of the green super car. The Green Piece.

Ferrari, Lotus or Porsche: close your eyes and picture a vehicle from any of those world-famous manufacturers and you’re likely to envision a dream car with sleek lines, an eye-catching body and incredible power. Fuel efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions are unlikely to creep into the fantasy image.

Indeed just a month ago the Green Piece Column (see article) examined some of the green sports cars headed our way – but they were generally restricted to offerings from relative upstarts like Tesla Motors and Fisker Automotive. The big name sports car makers it seemed were just carrying on, business as usual.

However, this year’s Geneva Motor Show has changed all that as one after the other, some of the biggest names in the sports car field revealed that they too have developed a green conscience. Let’s take a look at what’s coming from some of the motoring industry’s most respected car makers:

Ferrari – F1 technology goes green

Based on the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, the Italian carmaker unveiled the Ferrari HY-KERS in Geneva – a vehicle that features a lightweight hybrid drivetrain with system components located below the centre of gravity (see article).

The HY-KERS still has F1 technology and the performance characteristics of a typical Ferrari but manages to reduce CO2 emissions by around 35 per cent. It can even operate as a full electric vehicle in city traffic.

In addition, Ferrari has also introduced a stop and start system into the Ferrari California model that slashes fuel consumption and emissions by six per cent.

Lotus – A green triple threat

The Lotus Elise is one of the most sought-after super cars in the world and its transformation in Geneva is perhaps the most telling of all (see article). The new Elise now has the lowest CO2 performance for a petrol sports car in the world at less than 155g/km with fuel efficiency at 38mpg – yet it can still race from 0-60mph in just six seconds and achieve a top speed of 124mph.

However, Lotus’s green contributions to the show did not end there. It also unveiled the PROTON Concept (see article), a plug-in hybrid car which uses the Lotus Range Extender engine and can be charged using a domestic outlet to achieve electric-only operation when the vehicle is first used.

Also making its debut was the Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid Concept which produces 414PS of power and can accelerate from 0-60mph in less than four seconds (see article). It has an electric range of 35miles; a total hybrid range in excess of 300miles; and, according to Lotus, its total lifetime CO2 emissions is lower than that of a fully electric car with comparable performance.

Porsche – A hat-trick of hybrids

Few manufacturers have been as busy at Geneva as Porsche, which has introduced a hat-trick of hybrid cars at the event.

Perhaps the most eye-catching is the plug-in hybrid Porsche 918 Spyder concept car (see article) that is powered by a high-speed V8, can accelerate from 0-62mph in less than three seconds and can achieve a top speed of 198mph. However, despite these remarkable performance statistics, the plug-in hybrid technology makes it strikingly efficient with fuel consumption at 74.8mpg and emissions at 70g/km of CO2.

Also revealed at the event was the new Cayenne S Hybrid (see article), which slashes fuel consumption by 23 per cent compared to the previous model thanks to features such as auto stop-start, thermal management and intelligent lightweight construction. Fuel consumption is 28.75mpg and CO2 emissions are just 193g/km. Completing the set for Porsche is the 911 GT3 R Hybrid that includes a flywheel energy recovery system developed by Williams for F1 racing (see article).

And don’t forget…

Though Ferrari, Lotus and Porsche may have stolen the show in Geneva, they aren’t the only manufacturers with exciting green sports cars in their line-up.

Others to look out for include the Honda CR-Z (see article), dubbed the world’s first hybrid sports car and that is scheduled to be released in Europe this summer. Also coming is the Vauxhall/Opel Flextreme (see article), a range-extended concept with a total range in excess of 300miles and fuel consumption at 174mpg; and the Bentley SuperSports Convertible (see article) that boasts an impressive top speed of 202mph and yet is able to run on petrol or E85 bio-ethanol; and all of these on top of the aforementioned Fisker Karma and Tesla Roadster.

What now appears blatantly apparent is that no leading car maker can afford to rest on its laurels with regards to green technology. Consumers want fast, powerful, exciting super cars that still save money in the forecourt and slash emissions – and now it seems they are going to get them.

Faye Sunderland