Even supercars are going green. Can you burn rubber without torching your conscience?

Corn-Fed: The 200mph Raptor runs on ethanol.  Saleen
It’s hard to think about the planet when you’re hurtling across it at 150 mph. Yet recent auto shows from Geneva to New York have unveiled concept sports cars that pursue power in hybrid, hydrogen, ethanol or diesel form. Are these sincere attempts to ease global warming or merely cynical bids to capture the PR lightning of the all-electric, 0-to-60-in-four-seconds Tesla Roadster? George Peterson, the president of industry analyst firm AutoPacific, says that major luxury manufacturers are developing high-performance green tech with a wary eye toward future regulation of carbon-dioxide emissions. Not to mention meeting the proposed 31.6mpg U.S. standard by 2015. But many companies, he believes, are merely trying to attract image-conscious investors and buyers. “They’ll sell so few cars that the environmental impact is almost nil,” he predicts. “It’s mostly about bragging rights.”

Let the boasting begin. Launch our slideshow of the the fastest and flashiest eco-conscious sports cars, along with the odds that you’ll actually see one blow you away at a stoplight.

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3 Comments

I'm glad to see that some car companies are recognizing the long term pay off of reducing gasoline consumption...as if we had a choice.

most racecars, if i'm correct, run off of ethanol. so, for a sports car, it makes sense.

The article fails to mention pure electrics,such as the Lightning Car Company's sports car (http://tinyurl.com/4zso9f) or the Tesla electric.
The Lightning products in particular are powered by NanoSafe batteries,which if the claims are correct,offer a decent range and a 10 minute charge time. Electric cars such as the Tesla beat the pants off any ICE powered vehicle in the 0-60 arena.



June 2013: American Energy Independence

Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more.


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