Citroen C-Metisse Diesel Hybrid Sports Car: Fast and Furiously Responsible

Our hybrid fetish lives on, especially for the Citroen C-Metisse Diesel Hybrid Sports Car that'll be rolled out at this year's International Motor Show in Paris. This four-door rocket is powered by a 205hp diesel V-6 engine and two electric motors, one on each rear wheel. That combo delivers pretty good numbers, too: 0-to-62 mph in 6.2 seconds at a top speed of 155mph, all the while sipping the fuel at just 42 miles per gallon.

While we probably won't be seeing a car like this on these shores or anywhere else anytime soon—yeah, it's a concept car—these design exercises will likely bear fruit somewhere, somehow. Plus, we're really digging those four gull-wing doors, inviting a quartet of lucky riders to jump in and hit the triple miles-per-hour digits. Someday. But for today, check out more pics after the jump. – Charlie White

Trev (two-seater renewable energy vehicle)

Suppose you decided that you weren't going to use fossil fuels anymore. How would you get around?Solar racing cars are able to travel 750km per day, at highway speeds, powered only by sunlight. Surely it is possible to use similar technologies to build a car in which you could do your daily commuting, but without the noise and pollution of a petrol engine. Staff and students at the University of South Australia have designed and built such a car—Trev.

Its features include:two comfortable seats, since more than 90% of urban trips have only one or two people in the car;enough luggage space for at least two overnight bags;270kg mass—because using a 2.5 tonne vehicle for commuting is ridiculous;energy-efficient tyres, brakes and suspension;a clean, quiet and efficient electric drive system;compliance with road safety and worthiness regulations;good performance, with a top speed of 120km/h; andat least 150km of city driving before the car must be recharged.

Most importantly, it uses less than 1/5 of the energy required by a conventional car, and can be recharged using electricity from clean, renewable sources such as solar and wind.

And it doesn't look too bad...

Features

The tandem seating layout gives good aerodynamics, good balance, and good vision.

The acrylic canopy, with integrated roll hoop, give the driver an unimpeded view of the road.

The canopy and door open on the kerb side of the car.

A 30kW IEMS brushless motor gives smooth, quiet acceleration from 0–100km/h in under 10 seconds.A composite tub chassis, with foam and plastic body panels, gives a total car mass of 350kg.A 45kg lithium ion polymer battery gives over 150km of city driving.

Low-energy tyres on low-mass alloy wheels give low rolling resistance.

The single rear drive wheel simplifies the suspension, and allows a simple, efficient transmission.In 2002 two Industrial Design students develop some body concepts, and some engineering students look at aerodynamics. In 2003 they started the project in earnest, with 25 Industrial Design students working with an experience automotive designer to develop concept designs for the car, and seven Mechanical Engineering students working on initial engineering designs. They also did extensive performance modelling to show that the concept was sound.In 2004, an Industrial Designer and five final-year Mechanical Engineering students completed the detailed design of the car. In 2005, a group of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering students built and demonstrated the prototype car. In 2006, The aim is to get the prototype car registered and on the road.Source-unisa.edu.au

BMW H2R Hydrogen Record Racecar

BMW's H2R (Hydrogen Record Car) is powered entirely by the clean-burning process of liquid-hydrogen combustion, and this futuristic racecar has already set nine speed records of 300 km/h and above.

1991 Chrysler 300 Concept Car V10

The Chrysler 300 concept car is the direct spiritual descendant of the original Chrysler 300 series from the '50s. It combines the features of an ultra-luxury car with blistering performance, thanks in part to an 8-liter V-1 0 "Copperhead" engine mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. With its striking good looks, the Chrysler 300 Concept Car helped blaze a path for Chrysler's styling in the 1990's, including the Viper and LH series.