Even though the trio of hypercars from Ferrari, McLaren and Porsche all use hybrid powertrains, Aston Martin will remain faithful to V12 engines for the foreseeable future and resist hybrids for as long as possible.
Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez doesn’t have good things to say about the Porsche 918 Spyder, Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren P1. According to the executive, the additional weight of the batteries spoils the purity of extreme machines and the benefits of hybrids are not what customers of such cars want.
“We will not have a hybrid in next year or the year after. Hybridisation has two aspects; like in F1 to pass someone, which is irrelevant on the road, and the other is to be more fuel-efficient. But it is very simple; if you drive a little slower you will be much better off,” said Bez, according to Australian outlet, Drive.
He added that Aston Martin will look at other ways to improve the economy of petrol engines, including downsizing the capacity, optimizing aerodynamics and reducing weight.
“I am a purist and I think a sports car should have as low weight as possible. It should be in as minimalistic as it can be and this does not work with hybridisation,” he said. “I don’t think it is necessary to give me a power shot on the road. I don’t think I need something that gives me 100hp more. I do not know why I need an extra 100kg just to get those things. I think a pure sports car does not need this,” Bez said.
These are some pretty straightforward opinions from Aston Martin’s CEO, and I tend to agree with him. What do you think, is hybridisation absolutely necessary for supercars?
By Dan Mihalascu
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