Name the first French supercar that comes to mind – did anything pop up without looking at Wikipedia? We thought so.
France’s automakers may be quite able at creating successful compact models, but success in premium segments has so far, eluded them – and a supercar is definitely out of the question.
This hasn’t stopped their designers from sharpening their pencils on extravagant concepts that grace auto shows all over the world. With the latest event taking place in Paris, something exciting was definitely on the menu.
Peugeot took care of that with its impressive Onyx concept, a 4.65 long supercar that is powered by a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain comprising a 3.7-liter V8 with 600HP that drives the rear wheels and a kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) converting braking energy into electricity, which is then stored in the lithium-ion battery and offers an additional 80HP.
Despite being based on existing technology and featuring some production design themes, such as the new grille and the RCZ’s aluminum arches and double bubble roof, the Onyx will remain just a concept.
What is not out of the question, at least in a toned-down form, is the second hybrid concept bearing the Onyx moniker that was revealed at the Paris Auto Show. Only it’s not a car, but a three-wheel scooter.
The Onyx scooter is inspired by the supercar and like that concept, is powered by a hybrid powertrain. Naturally, the internal combustion petrol engine has a much smaller displacement of 0.4-liters and along with its electric motor, produces 60HP (54kW) and 58Nm (43 lb-ft) of torque.
It has an all-electric range of 30 km (18 miles) at a steady 50 km/h (30 mph) speed, which rises to 500 km (310 miles) in hybrid mode.
By Andrew Tsaousis
PEUGEOT ONYX SUPERCAR CONCEPT 
PEUGEOT ONYX SCOOTER CONCEPT 
