High on Hybrids
From Toyota to Porsche, these eco-friendlier road picks are making Al Gore very happy, indeed.
Matthew Strmiska
December 05, 2007
Good news for Al Gore (or any gearhead with a conscience): 2008 marks the start of what looks to be a hybrid boom. Toyota, one of the trailblazers of hybrid technology, will release a 2009 Prius with lower emissions, a leaner silhouette, and a cheaper price tag, and has licensed its diesel-electric engineering to the 2008 Nissan Altima hybrid model. For tree-huggers for whom money is no object, a bevy of luxury cars are taking the eco-friendly plunge.
The Lexus LS 600h (a hybrid version of the 2007 LS 460L) is the first car to combine a V8 gasoline engine with an electric motor for improved gas mileage and acceleration; Mercedes Benz unveils a lithium iron battery-powered hybrid version of its S class sedan in 2009; a 2008 Cadillac Escalade hybrid is out to prove that gluttonously huge cars and fuel economy are not mutually exclusive (though maximum efficiency depends on geriatric speed); and even Greenpeace enemy Porsche is making nice with a Cayenne hybrid for release by 2010. Also rumored to have hybrid models in the works are Bentley, Mini Cooper, and BMW. Could a Jaguar Ozone be next? —Una LaMarche
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