Just because buyers of sportscars are usually wealthy doesn’t mean they like spending a fortune at the pump. Luxury car makers like Lamborghini and Ferrari have made note of this announcing their intentions to release some hybrid sportscars, but what about other automakers? Well, the latest rumor says that Maserati will be the next to sign on.

Make note that both Ferrari and Maserati are owned by Fiat so the chances of some hybrid Ferrari components appearing in Maseratis are highly likely, if this rumor is ture of course.

I just wonder how much these are going to cost.

via autoblog

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Exactly one week ago we let you know that BMW was gearing up to showcase a concept of a sustainable sportscar at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

Well lucky for us, the guys over at Bimmerpost have gotten their hands on a shot of said concept as it was being loaded for transportation presumably getting ready for Frankfurt.

This doesn’t really give us any official specs but at least we now know what the general design of the car will look like.

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Hertz Italiana Lotus Elise SC Fleet

Who wouldn’t enjoy taking in the picturesque Mediterranean countryside while driving an exotic sportscar? The Italians have no shortage of sleek automobiles but if you’re looking for something more along the lines of a British model, then car rental company Hertz can probably help. The agency’s Italian locations have just received a fleet of Lotus Elise SC sportscars as part of their Fun Collection.

The Elise SC has a compact Toyota-sourced 1.8-liter four cylinder engine with a supercharger producing a humble 218 horsepower, but weighing less than 2000 lbs it can take off doing 0-60 in just 4.3 seconds.

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It seems that UK automaker Lightning Car Company has announced that, in addition to their recently announced Lightning GT, they will be launching 3 additional all-electric vehicles.

If you didn’t know, the Lightning GT is an all-electric vehicle with a 120,000 price tag, 0-60 mph sprint of 4 seconds and a range of 180 miles. It hasn’t hit the market yet but Lightning Car Company head honcho Ian Sanderson says that they have a smaller sportscar, SUV and a “high-end chauffer-driven car with electric power” in the works.

So yeah, none of us will be able to afford these, but thanks anyways Lightning Car Company.

Read (AutoBlogGreen)

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Ariel Atom 500

British sportscar-maker Ariel has uncovered its upcoming Atom 500 and suggested it will cost at least $160,000. The present Ariel Atom 300 is already one of the best-performing cars on the road, even with its fairly modest four-cylinder engine. However, the Atom 500 will contain a compact V8 producing some 500 horsepower.

This supercar won’t come cheap as the anticipated $50,000 cost of its custom-developed V8 engine alone will drive the price of the limited-edition Atom 500 to about triple that of its four-cylinder counterpart. A few lucky buyers will get to experience 0-60 in about 2.5 seconds which is fast enough to keep pace with the Bugatti Veyron, which at ten times the price makes the Atom look like a real bargain.

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If you thought the answer to the above question was an obvious no you were very wrong, and it’s been proven. Recently found via a patent search was a hybrid propulsion system filed by none other than supercar manufacturer Ferrari.

The patent apparantly shows 4 different systems that could potentially find their way into a Ferrari hybrid at some point in the near future. According to AutoblogGreen the patent also details the car’s potential ability to run solely on electricity under certain circumstances along with the driver being able to switch from AWD to RWD.

A Ferrari branded hybrid sportscar? Count me it but the chance of me being able to afford it any time soon is close to zero.

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The Spanish racing team looks like it is planning to penetrate the Ferrari market with this new supercar called the GTA Spano. Packing a 780-horsepower V10, the lightweight supercar is made of carbon-fiber, Kevlar and titanium to help it get up to highway speeds from a standstill (0-60) in a blindingly fast 2.9 seconds.

It’s available with a choice of transmission options, and can even run on ethanol for an added boost. GTA says it will only build 99 examples of its first roadgoing sportscar, which will carry a pricetag in the neighborhood of $670,000.

(Source) Luxist

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We catch a glimpse of the future with this potential hovercraft unveiled by Audi. The futuristic two-seater flying sportscar is inspired by both motorcycle and jet design, for maximum performance as well as safety.

The name of course comes from its resemblance to a gray reef shark. Its streamlined design, sharp nose and fin-like rear lower spoiler contribute to the vehicle’s “underwater” appearance. Both the headlights and taillights are made by transparent tubes which integrate LED units, while the somewhat cramped interior features sport seats integrated in the cockpit structure.

(Source) Luxury Launches

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Porsche is the next car company that has started adjustments to weather the economic storm. Porsche has announced that they will be cutting down on worker hours due to falling car sales. The sportscar firm has sold 34,000 fewer cars in the past six months than during the same period last year.

The move follows Japanese carmakers Honda announcing they were closing their Swindon factory for four months, affecting 2,500 workers. Honda’s net profit for the three months to December plunged 89 per cent.

(Source) Mirror.co.uk

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