GM Should Build a Chevy Volt SS, and Others Should Follow Suit
GM Should Build a Chevy Volt SS, and Others Should Follow Suit
I’m an enthusiast and an environmentalist, and I’ve longed for the day when we could... Read More
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I’m an enthusiast and an environmentalist, and I’ve longed for the day when we could have it all – great performance and a low carbon footprint.
Well, that day seems to be approaching, but it’s not here yet – especially not for the “average Joe” consumer. Fisker has its Karma, Porsche is going into production with the hybrid 918 Spyder supercar, and the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics sports coupe is also slated for production.
But these are high-ticket cars, well beyond the reach of this writer, and that of most middle-class Americans. The cheapest of the bunch is the Fisker Karma, at roughly $88,000.
So here’s the solution: Build a higher-performance version of the Volt. I’m not an engineer, but I would imagine this would be well within the reach of GM’s engineers, and I’m guessing it would find a ready market. Who wouldn’t want to “have his cake and eat it too” with regard to performance and environmental virtue?
The biggest complaint from enthusiasts about environmentally friendly cars so far is that they lack performance. If that problem were solved, I’m guessing that many of my fellow boomer enthusiasts would sign up and drive away. I know I’d be seriously tempted…
A couple of years ago Csaba Csere, while still editor of Car and Driver, wrote an editorial entitled “Fearless Prediction: Plug-In Hybrids Will be the Hot Rods of the 21st Century”. In it, he talks about the suitability of gasoline/electric hybrids for enthusiast use, assuming the right product made it to market.
His point was that the way enthusiasts drive sporty cars fits what hybrids or EVs provide – relatively short bursts of power on demand, with more “normal” driving being the norm. So, even if fuel consumption on that blast up a mountain pass goes down to say, 25 mpg, it won’t matter, if the rest of the time you’re getting 100 mpg plus.
So, GM – please build us a Volt SS, and send me one to test!
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