[hotlap]

Originally Posted by Egon

Hybrid does not mean no or low performance, if anything it opens up opportunities for a lot more performance than anything currently out there at this time, and if Ford does it correctly and Chevrolet does not follow along the next Gen Camaro is going to get curb stomped by a performance hybrid Mustang.

True, batteries can be heavy and add a lot of weight to the vehicle, but we are not talking about a Tesla sized battery that needs to provide 200+ miles of range on electric alone. The systems that would work well in a performance environment would more closely resemble an F1 KERS system with a smaller battery and multiple smaller electric motors that can be placed at each wheel to provide instant torque from 0 RPM to redline. In addition the battery can be located anywhere in the vehicle so it would be most advantageous to place it low and in the middle of the vehicle to aid weight distribution and keep the center of gravity low.

These numbers are educated guesses, but a high performance hybrid system would add anywhere from 200-350 lbs of weight to a vehicle but could provide anywhere from 150-400+ hp of performance and efficiency. Take the low side 200lbs and 150hp and add it to a 6th Gen SS and you have a vehicle that is lighter than the ZL1 but has almost as much power and the ability to provide epic torque from 0 RPM. The maximum torque that electric motors provide even from 0 RPM is why a 5000lb Tesla can do the ¼ mile in the high 10s.

All of that performance comes with additional irrefutable benefits that I guarantee every vehicle manufacturer is currently looking into. (if they wish to stay in business) Fuel economy improvements in EPA city cycles could be enormous along with big reductions in emissions. We may not really think of that as a big deal but with a lot of attention to climate change the last thing we want to do as performance enthusiasts is paint a target on our backs, especially when the benefits of systems like this are obvious. There is a reason that Ferrari, Porsche, McLaren and others all chose hybrid power trains for their flagship vehicles, and it wasn’t because they all turned into environmentalists overnight.

TLDR: Hybrid platforms are the future of performance, jump on board or get steamrolled.

This Al Oppenheiser quote from June 2015 Hot Rod speaks to the future. I suspect Chevy is already looking at it.

HRM: ...is this a performance bubble or will we see performance cars continue to improve over the next few years?

AO: Let's see. You've heard Mark Reuss say many times that Chevrolet has the most capable performance lineup we've ever had at Chevrolet. The things we do on Z/28 and ZL1 with magnetic ride and DSSV dampers. The Corvette has so much technology. We're going to incorporate much more of that to comply with future fuel economy. We're going to always be able to do performance, it's just how you define performance and the tools you have to do that. It may change to more technology-based down the road. Hey, look at it realistically, electric motors provide instant torque. That's pretty cool.