Tolani 1

Tristan Tolani
Debra Dagher
UWRT1102
20 June 2015
What About the Supercar?
What is the fate of the supercar? Will that still be a category of car in the future? A little
over a year ago my passion for supercars was set ablaze. Ill tell you why, I had the opportunity
to drive a supercar, the kind of thing a normal 18 year old can only dream about, let alone get to
experience. I saw these cars all over the Internet; all over the wealthiest of the wealthys social
media, day after day. But here I was next to a Ferrari 458, my hands all over its handcrafted, half
million-dollar body. I had grown up around cars and such, but nothing like this. Today was my
lucky day; my father and I had signed up to rip one of these bad boys around a track. Well not the
458 as it was having brake problems, but a Lamborghini LP-560-4 Gallardo and I also ended up
in a Nissan GT-R. Words will never be able to describe the feeling I felt when I sat inside those
vehicle. It is a feeling Im still chasing. And driving it? Well let me tell you, knowing that one
day I will experience that again in my own supercar is what drives me to do all of these things I
have to do. I felt at home, free and like nothing else anywhere mattered as I was racing around
the track, passing people in cars that dreams are made of. I was also scared at points, but the
adrenaline cut that, and the smile on my face has never been bigger. So this indescribable feeling,
the amazing sounds and smells are what have lead me to question the future of ultimate freedom
machine, the supercar.
When you were a kid you ever have something that drew your attention and you couldn't
look away from, or stop thinking about? For me and many other kids around the world cars,

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specifically supercars, were those things. A supercar is vehicle that usually achieves speed
greater than two hundred miles per hour, a zero to sixty quicker than five seconds and comes
with a hefty price tag and exclusivity. That definition is of course how I choose to classify a
supercar. Other people have different definitions backed up with various reasoning and if you
dont believe me then just search for the definition of a supercar on the Internet. For example a
Ferrari 458 Italia, a common supercar to some but maybe not to others, costs about the same as
10 or more average Toyota Camrys (Car And Driver). Today I can confidently say that nothing
will catch my attention faster than a car, the sound, the smell, the everything. Im not the only
one either that still has that interest, there is a whole following for those incredible vehicles. The
future of these supercars indirectly affects everyone that drives. The new technology that goes
into them is technology that common cars can receive, if taken well by the people that buy and
support supercars. Right now supercars are the lab rats for new hybrid and gasoline engine
systems, success for them means better cars for the rest of the world. For example if the hybrid
technology placed in the 918 Spyder receives great feedback, Porsche will consider
implementing that system into their 911 fleet (Abdulhak and Smith 2&6). So if you want to
drive or buy a new car, paying attention to the evolution of the supercar might tell you what your
next vehicle could have inside of it. Not only does it affect common people, but it also affects
those who buy supercars and the gear heads. Many of the worlds top earners buy these cars, for
some it allows a realization of a child hood dream or it can represent another item checked off
the list. Without these cars though, that dream could not be realized, that box could not be
checked off. For others, like me, these automobiles are motivators to work hard and persevere.
Today my driving force to work hard and do many things I don't want to, is knowing that each
step I take will put me closer to reaching my end goal of owning a such a thing. But the motor

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heads of the world are affected as well, those who value a true gasoline vehicle. For them, the
idea of this hybrid supercar may seem farfetched, and they may think a green supercar will
never outperform or provide the same sensations. Its safe to say that I believed the same things
at first. But we shouldnt worry, as companies compete with one another to see who can pump
out the best supercar, the technology and performance that comes out is above and beyond the
previous models. A prime example is the Ferrari LaFerrari. On the Ferrari website it states that
this is the most powerful vehicle they have produced to date (Ferrari S.p.A.). This could be a sign
of things to come!
All automobiles of the future will be different, especially the supercar, but for now no one
is really sure how different. We know that engine technology is changing to help vehicles meet
emissions standards, and prepare them for changes of emissions regulations. The future goal for
Europe is for all of their vehicles to achieve 46 miles per gallon (Ulrich 38). It does say Europe
but the United States is also expected to adopt emissions standards that are around the same
(Ulrich 38). Im not sure the exact time frame they are expecting this to happen in, because right
now if that were to be the case then most of the cars on earth would be out of luck, especially the
supercars. Right now a supercar achieves about eleven miles to the gallon, give or take a few
depending on the size of the engine and how you decide to drive it. The fines associated with
emissions laws will also become larger as the regulations become stricter. According to Colin
Peachey, Chief Engineer at Lotus legislators say they're going to tax you until it hurts, and
above a certain emissions level, you just wont be able to sell a car(qtd. in Ulrich 38). It is only
smart that a company would get with the times so that they could stay in business. With that
being said, it would seem as if the supercars internal combustion power plant might go under
fire. But Koei Saga, the head of Toyotas future technology says that the internal combustion

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engine will not leave us now, and most likely never will (Csere 1). Though not as large as they
used to be, the internal combustion engine is changing and improving as they are coupled with
hybrid technology. The general consensus is that most of the car world is undergoing a green
revolution. Many of the major supercar companies have released either a concept or a
production hybrid option while still trying to maintain their roots. Ferraris Chairman, Luca di
Montezemolo says Every car in Ferraris lineup will adopt hybrid technology within three to
five years(Ulrich 38). There will be more electric cars on the road in the future but probably not
as many as people would think. Projections made by Carlos Ghosn who is the CEO of Nissan
And Renault, say that in 2020 about ten percent of the vehicles on the road will be battery
powered (qtd. in Csere 1) So there are two sides to the future, but the idea behind each side is
that the supercar of the future is guaranteed to be different than, lets say a Pagani Huayra. These
different views have allowed me to form a general understanding, for myself, of what the future
shall be like for the supercar. All I can say is that Im glad it will still be around.
The thing that draws me in most to the green side of things is that the performance of
these hybrid supercars can be better than some of their gas counterparts. The facts and numbers
are what have convinced me, along with the stunning looks of the current line up of hybrid
supercars. Lets look at the basics of the 918; zero to sixty is 2.8 seconds, with a top speed of 210,
with all systems working in harmony (qtd. in Abdulhak and Smith 2). The quickest Nrburgring
lap time is also held by the Porsche 918 Spyder, which just so happens to be one of the three new
hybrid supercars. While the other two major players in the hybrid supercar world (LaFerrari and
McLaren P1) have better performance statistics on paper, I guess they just couldn't measure up to
the 918 in terms of overall performance. I didnt know that a hybrid vehicle could achieve such
a feat, and never though it would be possible, especially since hybrids have the odds against

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them, being known to face weight and performance issues, but obviously the new ones do not
suffer from these issues. This being just the beginning of the hybrid supercar, I cant even begin
to fathom what the next generation will be able to do. As of recent, Ive seen a new development
that has taken place in the world of hybrid supercars: Koenigsegg has just announced the Regera.
Through my research, Ive come to appreciate what lies ahead in the automotive world.
Each day, somewhere inside an automotive development lab (one like Koenigseggs), the car
world is changing. Hybrid technology doesn't strike fear into me like it did before. I know now
that I don't have to worry about my future supercar being some sort of Prius relative. I hope that
Im not the only car enthusiast whom no longer fears hybrid technology; our future cars are
going to be incredible. I want others to feel the same, and be curious about the future without
fear of it. I personally want to know how long until a battery technology capable of a hundred
miles or more will be put into a supercar. I also want to know what is to become of the twelve
and ten cylinder engine; this is probably the most important question I have. It was stated in one
of my sources that the internal combustion engine will be around in the future, but what role will
it play, how big will it be? Imaginative new engine concepts are a dime a dozen, to me this is
the best quote to sum up the future or answer my question (Csere 2). As I said before the car
world changes each day, and tomorrow may be the day that we reach a solution to our fossil fuel
problem. But I think the answers to my other questions are coming, the future is vast and
unknown, who are we to say what is to come next.

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Works Cited
Abdulhak, Ismail, and Trent Andrew Smith. "Deakin Papers on International Business
Economics." The $845,000 Porsche 918 Hybrid Spyder: Redefining the Supercar. N.p.,
July 2011. Web. 01 June 2015.
Bell, Krik. "Hybrid Supercars Are the Future of High Performance Autos." NY Daily News.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, 19 May 2014. Web. 03 June 2015.
Csere, Csaba. "The Future of the Internal-Combustion Engine." Car And Driver. Car And Driver,
Apr. 2010. Web. 03 June 2015.
"Ferrari 458." Ferrari 458 Reviews. Car And Driver, n.d. Web. 20 June 2015.
"LaFerrari: The Most Extreme Performance Ever Achieved by a Ferrari." Ferrari GT. Ferrari
S.p.A., n.d. Web. 20 June 2015.
Supercar: Building the Car of the Future. Perf. Brian Fleck. Films On Demand. Films Media
Group, 2009. Web. 3 June 2015.
"Toyota Camry." Toyota Camry Reviews. Car And Driver, n.d. Web. 20 June 2015.
Ulrich, L. "The Greening of the Supercar." IEEE Spectrum 47.10 (2010): 36-41. Print.

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