Hybrid Sports car - are they the way to go for the future?

The word hybrid seems to be the hot topic in the automotive industry in the last 5 years. Apart from producing daily run about hybrid cars the car makers have started to develop Hybrid Sports cars. Not all car makers have gone down this path but many are already working on a development car of some sort. The question is whether this is just a trend or is it really here to stay?!

Here are some examples of currently under development hybrid sports cars / super cars:
- Toyota / Lexus - the next super car (not the LFA) is going to be a hybrid. Supposedly to be a Supra replacement but nothing can be confirmed at the moment. Toyota has been seen testing their hybrid motor in Le Mans which could mean that it may be included in their new super car.

- Honda - The new NSX is expected to have 3 electric motors, 1 for each front wheel and 1 main unit that works with engine. The concept has been displayed since 2011 but there are no official release dates at the moment.

- Porsche - The new 918 is expected to be one of the most powerful hybrids. The prototype of this model has been seen under testing phase.

- Ferrari - now working on a new a hybrid super car. Expected to be launched in 2014.

Sports cars / super cars are often regarded as the show piece of an automotive manufacturer and they would usually pour all their resources to make the car the best that it can be. Having a hybrid sports car / super car seems like a big juggling act because on one hand the car is expected to be as powerful as possible and yet the hybrid system is trying to make it as fuel efficient as possible. Power comes at a cost in terms of fuel. With the hybrid system the extra power  and torque boost will come from the electric motor however this cost comes in the form of weight of the batteries. Hybrid batteries are notoriously heavy and this has an impact on performance as well as the balance of the car which in turn will effect the handling.
In some cases the hybrid motor only acts as a performance booster.

Right now there are no hybrid super cars available yet. Once the first one is officially launched, we shall then be able to see how well it stacks up against traditional super cars with only a combustion engine.

We have seen electric sports cars like the Tesla and Fisker. These are different from the hybrid super cars that Toyota, Honda, Porsche and Ferrari are developing.