Like it or not, things are going green. Everything. Even racing. Look at ALMS: Cellulosic ethanol diesel, hybrid Porsches (okay, that's not in the series, but they play along). Even F1 is trying to use KERS to squeeze a few extra green points after trucking racing cars around the world.
So why not a Time Attack Hybrid?
Above, built by Braille Battery and UTI, is a Nissan Altima Hybrid running E85 with a Vortec electric supercharger, an experimental Braille Battery Carbon Racing pack electric drive with Braille Battery battery, the standard Altima CVT, BC Racing Coil Overs, eco-friendly paint, Enkei wheels, Stillen body kit and Yokohama -- wait for it-- low rolling resistance high performance Neova tires. Huh? Low resistance / high performance? Is this ice skating or grip racing?
Well, it worked, in the first Redline Time Attack at Sebring, Braille's Hybrid Altima took first place in the FWD street tire class and set a record for hybrid racecars with a 2:49.126.
Braille Battery is comitted to lightweight battery technology and builds the only AGM Carbon Fiber batteries. According to their website, "The company name, Braille, reflects the concept that advantages of weight reduction in racing are sometimes only felt, not seen."
( MotoIq, Braille Battery USA)
greenpony says:
10:49 AM, 08/23/10
I wonder if at some point in the future the "hybrid" badge will go the way of the "fuel injected" badge.
jederino says:
02:54 PM, 08/23/10
^^Are you kidding me - I wish?! BMW still brags to all the world they have fuel injection with the "i" suffix.
mrryte says:
06:29 AM, 08/24/10
"....low rolling resistance high performance Neova tires. Huh? Low resistance / high performance? Is this ice skating or grip racing?"
Words fail me at the moment...
tehnighthawk says:
06:10 AM, 08/25/10
It's just a matter of time before consumers are able to increase the output of their hybrid via better batteries or ECU tuning. It's going to be an interesting time for sure.