Michel Motorsports Gitano GT 111
Michel
Motorsports has chosen the SEMA 2011 convention to debut the Gitano, its first
original design effort. The Filipino company has spent its first 23 years
building replicas of classic sportscars, and that history has clearly
influenced this rear-wheel-drive coupe. A 150 kW (200 horsepower) electric
motor with sundry supporting components. If that sounds somewhat underwhelming,
consider that it can pump out 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) of torque continuously from 0
to 5,000 RPM.
Open
the trunk and you'll find a 25 kW (34.53 hp) range-extending rotary engine
ready to take you 250 additional miles past the 100-mile all-electric range.
About the size of a spare tire and able to burn a number of combustible fuels,
it runs at its peak efficiency to pump energy back into the battery pack during
those long distance drives.
The
power plants and their associated bits come courtesy of EVDrive. This outing
represents their first foray into the commercial market as well, after spending
the past few years developing their secret sauciness. AutoblogGreen actually
covered their original electric dirt bike project back in 2008.
As
for the Gitano itself, there's no word yet on the pricetag or when it is
expected to begin rolling out the door. The first examples will be constructed
in Britain and die-hard petrolheads will be pleased to learn that the electric
drivetrain isn't the only available option. The company says it can offer offer
a variant powered by an LS-series gen IV V8 capable of 430 hp and 424 lb-ft of
torque.
Source
: autoblog
