One of the automakers dazzling the 2011 Seoul Motor
Show is Chevrolet with their new Miray concept car - a mid-electric
hybrid-powered sports car whose name means "Future" in Korean. The
concept was built to celebrate the brand’s 100th anniversary and previews the
company’s future design language evolution.
The new Miray concept combines design elements from
the 1963 ’Monza (Monza) SS’ and 1962 Corvair Super Spyder and molds them into a
futuristic design language. It features an aerodynamic body shape with Le Mans
(Le Mans) racer-style vertical doors, a dual-port grille, LED headlamps, a
carbon fiber spoiler, and a new set of wheels, 20" at the front and
21" at the rear.
The Mi-Ray concept is made from carbon fiber and
CFRP (carbon fiber-reinforced plastic) and is distinguished by an angled
character line with ambient lighting underneath. Up front, the concept gets a
new dual port grille flanked by LED headlamps with new signature daytime
running lamps, while the front and rear fenders evoke Chevrolet Corvettes of
the past.
The jet-inspired interior combines brushed aluminum,
natural leather, white fabric, and liquid metal surfaces, all surrounded by a
carbon fiber shell, which gives it a lightweight yet rigid structure. The
driver-focused cockpit is inspired by the legendary Corvette, while asymmetric
seats form a symmetric interior that gives the driver a feeling of being fully
connected with the car.
The Mi-Ray’s hybrid system combines a 1.5-liter
four-cylinder turbocharged engine mounted behind the cockpit that drives the
rear wheels with two front-mounted 15-kW electric motors for quick acceleration
and zero emissions in urban driving.
The electric motors will take their energy
from a 1.6-kWh lithium-ion battery that is charged through regenerative braking
energy. The Mi-ray has the capability of being switched from front-wheel drive
to rear-wheel drive. The hybrid system is combined with dual-clutch
transmission (DCT) and start-stop system.
