Over the course of its history, Volvo hasn’t been involved much with performance. The biggest effort came with the development of a few R models, such as the S60 R, which was aimed against the 3-Series and C-Class. That didn’t work out too well, and with poor sales the R line was cancelled.

Recently Volvo has made some moves toward performance, introducing the sportier R-Design trim package and Polestar performance upgrade. Polestar boosts performance in Volvo cars nicely, without sacrificing fuel economy. We sampled the upgrade recently and found it to be a pitch perfect package for customers looking for a bit of extra performance.

What it isn’t though is a full performance lineup to rival the best from BMW’s M division and AMG over at Mercedes-Benz. Polestar, with its long history working on performance Volvos, apparently has big plans for a new variant of the S60. Polestar has a rich history with racing Volvos, and has been prodding Volvo to sanction more cooperation between the two. Polestar executives hinted they had something big in the works when we spoke with them, and a Volvo-sanctioned variant of the S60 might be the trick.

To show off their capabilities, Polestar introduced the C30 Performance Concept. It is powered Volvo’s 2.5-liter T5 power plant, boosted to 411 horsepower (up from 230 HP) thanks to a KKK 26 turbocharger. It is a complete package too; instead of front-wheel drive (with 411 hp that’d be a nightmare) a Haldex All-Wheel Drive system has been fitted. It’s the kind of setup we’d like to see go into production. As for the S60, a heavily camouflaged one has been caught testing that features beefed up wheel arches and a widened track.

Speculation about the car says it could be powered by the 4.4-liter Yamaha V-8 found in the S80 sedan and XC90 SUV. While we highly doubt that (would a V-8 even fit in there?), a boosted version of the current T5 engine could be a real possibility. Worldcarfans reports that we could see an announcement sometime in 2013. If true, it would mean Volvo is serious about adding a dedicated performance model to its lineup.

The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle is starting to pop up around town, and we can tell you this – it is world’s cooler than the previous car. One example that Volkswagen’s strategy to have the Beetle appeal to men is working came recently from the words of a friend. “Wow, it looks like a guy car now – I could actually drive that.” Real scientific, we know – but it is emblematic of a shift in opinion about the Beetle.

VW has done a good job with it, especially with the Black Turbo Launch Edition. We’re still waiting for the R to drop, but that’ll have to wait until later. Car & Driver reports that the next variant of the Beetle will be the convertible, with a launch planned for the Los Angeles International Auto Show. The Beetle is a lot of fun and C&D says VW has some big for the convertible’s launch.

The company plans to offer three special launch editions called Fifties, Sixties and Seventies. In Europe, VW has already trademarked these names. Each car will be designed to reflect that period of the Beetle’s history. That means the whole kit-and-kaboodle; crazy colors, white wall tires, unique seat upholstery, two-tone paint (we’re speculating there) – you name it. This has the potential to be really good, or really bad – depending on your perspective.

VW supposedly wants them to be called “authentic recreations” rather than retro. Whatever you say, VW…..we’re still waiting for a Speedster variant to launch at some point. It is an idea that VW has explored with the previous generation car as well as the current one with the E-Bugster. With all this exploration of the idea, there has to be something to it. Perhaps we’ll hear more about that later into the Beetle’s lifecycle. The Los Angeles show this November will play host to the Beetle Convertible’s debut, with an on-sale date likely in spring of next year.

Now here’s some good news – really good news. BMW has been developing a new front-wheel drive platform and Mercedes-Benz is putting a big emphasis on FWD as part of its growth plan. Instead of doing that, we’ve hoped that these companies would stand out by producing RWD small cars. If you’ve thought the same, BMW apparently feels your pain.

We do know that BMW is planning a FWD 1-Series GT, and we thought the rest of the 1-Series lineup was going to follow suit with that platform. The current car is RWD. According to Autocar, the 1-Series will be remain RWD though – and not only that, but it will gain a sedan variant for its next-generation. Enthusiasts rejoice! The current 1-Series is only sold in coupe and convertible variations here in the United States.

In Europe that expands to include three and five-door hatchback versions, but a sedan has never been produced. That is a shame because the 1-Series is the most basic, purest BMW out there – not to mention most affordable. Autocar says that with the 3-Series growing in size, BMW thinks there is room in the lineup for a 1-Series sedan aimed at the U.S and China. This 1-Series sedan will be a successor to the smaller 3-Series of yesteryear. The new car would be aimed directly at the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CSC, with one big advantage – rear-wheel drive handling.

If this is true, you can put your on BMW winning another round of magazine comparison tests in a new segment. A small, lightweight and (relatively more) affordable 1-Series sedan could be a huge hit. The only question is if it would take sales away from the 3. Who knows. With everyone else in the segment planning models to slot in below their current entry-level lines though, BMW has to plan for its future. Going RWD is a great to win kudos from us, whilst upstaging everyone else. We hope this is true. If it is, expect the car to debut for the 2015 model year, just behind the next-gen coupe and convertible.

Renault is in the process of relaunching the Alpine sports car. It is a relaunch that has been a long time in the making. As far back as October 2007 there were plans floating around by Renault’s head of marketing Patrick Blain. Launch was supposed to take place in 2010, but issues with the global economy have delayed the car’s debut.

But the wait is over. Earlier this week Renault announced that the Alpine would be debuting tomorrow, but after some leaks it has released images of the car early. Renault has a lot of expertise in Formula One, winning championships, but it hasn’t translated any of that to the street.

Alpine is a way to do that, being launched just ahead of this weekend’s Formula One Grand Prix de Monaco. Renault’s Chief Operating Officer Carlos Taveres says that the car will make 400 horsepower, take a lap at Monaco and could be “on the road in the future.” Surely they didn’t put us through all of this just to release a concept, did they? We don’t think so. This car may be in concept form but we’re sure a production version is on its way at some point down the road.

The grainy images show the rear of the Alpine for the first time. Rather than a rallying-focused lightweight like the original, the new Alpine goes for a hunkered down supercar look. Alpine shares a lot with the electric DeZir Concept that came before it. What it does retain from the original is its mid-engined power. Given that the official release isn’t out yet, we aren’t sure what powers the new Alpine. There have been varying reports; some it will be electric, others a hybrid, while others still saying Nissan’s 3.5-liter VQ V-6 will provide motivation. If we had to guess it would be Nissan’s V-6, but time will tell. In the meantime, check out the Alpine below. Tomorrow all the full details will be available.

When the Volvo V40 debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March, it caused us to do a double take. And not because of the design (although it is a stylish hatchback) but because of the revolutionary exterior front airbag. Exterior airbag?

Yes, you read that right. China leads with a 25 percent of fatalities being pedestrian-related, followed by Europe at 14 percent and the United States at 12 percent. Pedestrian safety regulations have gone into place in Europe, and it is causing a change in exterior vehicle design. Volvo, ever the leader in safety, has taken this effort to a whole new level.

The first component was City Safety with Pedestrian detection, a system that helps slow the vehicle to avoid impact with a pedestrians. Second, is the exterior airbag. Both efforts are elements of the company’s worthy goal to eliminate fatalities in Volvo vehicles by 2020. Thomas Broberg, Senior Technical Advisor for Safety at Volvo Car Corporation explains the system: “The purpose of the airbag is to help protect pedestrians in certain situations when they impact the bonnet and the area around the windscreen wiper recess and A-pillar, where there may be a risk of serious head injuries.”

It is active between speeds of 12 and 31 mph and uses an array of seven sensors embedded in the sheet metal. It apparently is smart and has been developed to only recognize pedestrian impact. We’ll see how that works out. Rather than just offer a press release about it though, Volvo has made to videos demonstrating how the system works. You can check it out below. Unfortunately Volvo has no plans to offer the V40 here in the United States. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the technology show up on other Volvo models though. Kudos to Volvo on pressing forward with efforts that will save lives.

Cadillac hasn’t had a traditional flagship on the market in a long time. Sorry DTS, you didn’t cut it. The Cadillac Escalade has served as the brand’s de facto flagship since its introduction. Most expensive in the lineup, biggest, flashiest – it is a modern embodiment of attributes held by the Cadillac super sedans of yore.

Given its close relationship to the Chevrolet Tahoe, we’re never quite sure why it took off in the first place. But, take off it did. It probably speaks to the enduring power of Cadillac’s brand name more than anything. To date the Escalade sells well, and brings in a lot of money. The current generation model, introduced in 2007, has been steadily upgraded to provide more separation from its plebeian cousins.

Given it was introduced in 2007 though, attention is turning to its replacement. With Cadillac aiming to go up against BMW and Mercedes, does the truck-based Escalade still have a place in the lineup? According to The Detroit Bureau, General Motors thinks it does. And why shouldn’t it? The Escalade has been a cash cow for Cadillac, and an aspirational vehicle for many people. Axing it wouldn’t have made any sense. There has been some speculation about a Lambda-based three-row crossover to replace it. While Cadillac could add that to the lineup, we don’t think it makes much sense to call it an Escalade. And, last we heard that project was cancelled.

The course that needs to be taken is one of increased differentiation from its platform mates. The fourth generation is scheduled to arrive sometime in 2013 or 2014, following the launch of the rest of its platform mates in 2013. GM has shown with vehicles like the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia that it knows how to properly make each vehicle unique. As Cadillac’s most expensive product until the flagship Omega arrives (who knows when…) Escalade needs a top-notch redesign. Given the ATS and XTS, we expect nothing less.

Love it it or hate it (and really, how could you hate it?) the Mazda MX-5 Miata has been incredibly successful. In February 2011, the car crossed 900,000 unit sales since its 1989 introduction. According to the Guinness World Book of Records, the Miata is the best-selling two-seat sports car. The MX-5 has held this record since May 2000, when it reached 531,890 units.

While in form it has remained similar to the original, the MX-5 has gained a lot of weight. Mazda research and development Hirotaka Kanazawa has said the next-generation model will be a return to form: “We will return to the original. It will be lightweight and the cost will be lightweight too. It will be easy to handle and fun to drive.”

The weight target has been set at 2,200 pounds. The 1989 original tipped the scales at 2,150 and the current car comes in at 2,410. We were expecting to see the replacement arrive in 2014, but that may be pushed back. Today Mazda has announced a partnership with Fiat on a new, lightweight rear-wheel drive platform. This platform will underpin an all-new MX-5, and will enable Alfa Romeo to get a small roadster of its own. This is one the best partnerships we’ve seen in a long time.

Mazda, who no longer has Ford as a strong partner, needs to form alliances to to provide economies of scale. Fiat is looking for efficiencies as well, and partnering Mazda is a great way to get small roadster expertise . Is it possible we could even see a Dodge roadster based on the platform in the future? Stranger things have happened. Mazda says the two roadsters will be powered by different engines. And, lest you think they’ll be rebadges, the two will be “distinctly styled, iconic and brand-specific.” In our opinion, this is automotive partnership at its best. Hopefully it doesn’t push back the next MX-5 too much though.

Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards are dictating a change in engine development. On mainstream models, a focus has turned to maximizing fuel economy though turbocharging. Hyundai/Kia was the first to proclaim the mid-size V-6 sedan as a thing of the past, and Chevrolet and Ford have followed.

The two top sellers in the segment, Toyota and Nissan, are sticking with V-6 power though. Toyota hasn’t announced any plans for a turbocharged four-cylinder in the Camry whatsoever, sticking to natural aspiration. Both Toyota and Nissan have said as long as there is V-6 demand, they will continue to build them.

Illustrating this commitment, Toyota has announced an $80 million investment at its Huntsville, Alabama engine plant. The investment includes adding 125 new jobs and boosting V-6 capacity at the plant by a 216,000 units, to 362,000. A 300,000 square feet building will be constructed as part of the investment.

“This V6 line addition continues to reflect our growing optimism for an improving North American market, and we continue to study more localization in North America,” said Steve St. Angelo, Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

The Huntsville, Alabama plant produces V-8, V-6 and four-cylinder engines for eight of Toyota’s North American vehicle lines. The total capacity of the plant will be up to 700,000 engines when the additional capacity comes online in March 2014. Toyota’s engine capacity in the U.S will stand at 1.4 million overall. Since the beginning of the year Toyota has announced $700 million in investment into U.S plants, along with 1,100 jobs. This investment is interesting because it indicates optimism about auto sales in the U.S, and with this particular announcement, higher V-6 sales. Where do they expect to need the additional capacity? It couldn’t come from Camry. Camry is experiencing its stiffest competition ever, and has never had any capacity issues. Anyhow, it is good to see increased investment in U.S manufacturing.

The Buick Regal GS has proven that Buick and speed aren’t two mutually exclusive terms. After making utterly boring vehicles for years, Buick turned over a new leaf with the 2008 Enclave. Since then the Regal, Verano and Encore have been released (Encore isn’t on sale yet though) and Buick’s average buyer age has steadily dropped.

In the Buick lineup the Regal GS by the far the model of most interest to enthusiasts, sharing a lot with the Opel Insignia OPC. We didn’t get the OPC’s all-wheel drive or V-6, but hey we’ll take what we can get.

Buick has announced that the Regal GS is the fastest Buick ever. It hit 162 mph at the Nevada Open Road Challenge, good enough for a second-place finish in the 135-mph class. The car was driven by Buick engineers Bill Rietow and John Townsend. The race uses stock cars; the Regal GS only added safety equipment like a roll cage and racing harnesses, as well as data collection computers. The team set a target time of 40 minutes and came within 0.4 seconds of achieving that.

Last year, the pair won first place in the 120-mph class. The way the Open Road Challenge works is different than most races. Instead of seeing who gets to the end first, the finishers are awarded on speed consistency. The Open Road Challenge sounds like a lot of fun. Like its name implies, it takes place on Nevada State Highway 318. A two-line, 90 mile segment forms the course. Buick is participating in these events to build performance credentials for the GS, which is a worthwhile endeavor. The GS is a great car; its only problem is pricing. People expect a real value proposition from Buick and it isn’t. That is something they’ll have to sort out in the future. Following their run, the engineers made a video talking about the car. You can check it out below.

As the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Chevrolet celebrated 100-year anniversaries in 2011, the shared motorsport passion of both American brands receives another page in their expanding chronicles this year. Returning to the Brickyard for the first time since 1993 in competition, Chevrolet was brought back thanks to a 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 IndyCar powerplant developed by Illmor engines. For Indianapolis 500 Pole Day qualifying for the main event, the first-place starting spot seemed like Chevrolet’s position to lose. Driving the #26 Chevrolet-powered entry for Andretti Autosport during Friday practice, driver Marco Andretti posted a 227.540-mile per hour lap speed to lead contenders into Saturday where a four-lap effort by race teams will decide where or even if they will start the 96th running of the 500-mile race.

Living up to the pre-qualifying expectations, the Chevrolet IndyCar engines cycled around the 2.5-mile oval at speeds faster than most of their competition running engines supplied by auto manufacturers Honda and Lotus. At the end, a shootout between Chevrolet-powered Dallara DW12 race cars thrilled the crowd with what would be the closest margin in speedway history between the pole and runner-up spot in time trials. Ryan Briscoe, piloting the #2 Team Penske entry’s average speed of 226.484 miles per hour was a narrow 0.003 miles per hour faster than Andretti Autosport #27 car wheeled by James Hinchcliffe. Over the combination of four laps around Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Briscoe’s pole for Chevrolet is a matter of 0.0023 seconds less time.

Triumphant in the pole, Ryan Briscoe declared on behalf of himself and his Team Penske racing organization “I can’t tell you how proud I am to run with the Bowtie here with the history of Chevrolet, and their involvement. They’re there, every step of the way. They continually give us updates and they just don’t stop working. We’re extremely happy to have Chevrolet engines.” Instrumental in the return of Chevrolet to open wheel racing through the IZOD INDYCAR Series, owner of the #2 car Roger Penske gave credit to the driver and team saying, “The guys did a great job. It was just a pleasure to bring that Chevrolet engine down home to the front with IZOD as our sponsor.”

With the Chevrolet IndyCar engine achieving a glory last held in 1991 when Rick Mears stormed to the top starting spot of the Indianapolis 500, the Briscoe-led Bowtie brigade emerged dominantly on Pole Day. Nine of the top-10 entries starting the 2012 event at the Brickyard will be competing with Chevy power. Providing the elated point of view of the pole-winning auto manufacturer, Chris Berube, Chevrolet Racing Program Manager, IZOD IndyCar Series declared, “It is a proud moment for everyone involved in the Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 program to have an all-Chevrolet front row and eight of the Fast Nine for the biggest race of the year. All of our Chevy V-6 teams have put forth a tremendous effort in preparations for the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500.”

After the dominating performance in time trials at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the possibility that technology found on the 2.2-liter V-6 racing engine could influence the future passenger cars sold by Chevrolet. A 12,000-RPM powerplant, the auto manufacturer has eluded to the fact that the combination of turbocharging and direct injection in use on the IndyCar engine is present on the 2013 Chevy Malibu. Part of an engineering team accepting the BorgWarner Louis Schwitzer award for the Chevrolet IndyCar engine, GM Performance Vehicles and Motorsports group’s Mark Kent said, “Going four-for-four at the racetrack and winning the Louis Schwitzer award has exceeded our expectations, but the ultimate goal for this project has always been to develop powerful fuel-efficient engine technologies that could be transferred to production cars,”

The 2012 Indianapolis 500 will be a race day Chevrolet will be featured at the forefront from the start. Ahead of the full front row of Chevrolet engined Dallara DW12 race vehicles will be a 638-horsepower, 2013 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 pace car. The 23rd time in Indianapolis 500 history that Chevy will lead an open wheel racing field to green, the Corvette ZR1is also going to gain recognition for sporting the highest-output production engine ever for an automobile serving pace car duties on Memorial Day weekend.

“We are looking forward to a great race next Sunday.” said Chris Berube as Chevrolet wants to win their first Indy 500 since 1993 on May 27th.

Information source: General Motors, INDYCAR

Photo source: General Motors, Holman Photography, INDYCAR/LAT USA

We’re convinced that the previous generation BMWs (save for probably 3-Series) will stand out as divergent from the developmental flow. That is true in both styling and in powetrains. Last time around the M5 ditched its traditional V-8 power plant for a V-10. A BMW V-10? That was a shocker.

Then, the M3 moved to a V-8 after being powered by BMW’s inline sixes for most of its lifetime. This time around styling has returned to form, and things are making more sense under the hood as well. F30 Post reports that the next-generation M3 will return to inline six-cylinder power.

Emphasis on inline there; some speculation surfaced that BMW would make it a V-6. The thinking was that BMW could basically lop two-cylinders off the twin-turbocharged V-8 powering the M5. According BMW North America President Ludwig Willisch that possibility was being considered, but they settled on an inline six. Smart move, we say. The new engine will have two or possibly three (!) turbos to help it generate about 450 horsepower. The M3 is about 1.5 to 2 years away, and F30 post says the next car will be lighter, faster, more efficient, and more powerful than the current car.

A manual transmission will be either optional or standard, and a debut will take place in early 2013 or 2014. Why the wait? The M3 is primarily coupe based (the four-door sedan version was killed off) and the current-generation coupe hasn’t debuted yet. Right now, previous generation versions of the coupe and convertible are still being sold alongside the current F30. BMW has been said to consider renaming the coupe/convertible versions as 4-Series, but that would mean ditching the M3 moniker, which we can confidently say won’t happen. Can’t they just leave well enough alone? 3-Series, 3-Series Coupe, 3-Series Convertible – makes sense to us.

There is a lot of satisfaction in proving the naysayers wrong. So far, Tesla has done just that. The Model S is moving forward full-speed ahead for a production launch one month ahead of schedule.

Tesla has just announced the beginning of a countdown – one month from today the first Model S is scheduled to be delivered to customers. The gleaming former NUMMI factory in Fremont, California is gearing up for full production. The first production body for customer delivery was recently completed (see image above).

Tesla is a true product of Silicon Valley – technology is at the forefront of the experience. The whole aim with the Model S is to produce a different (and they say better) car than ever before.That different approach is carrying through to personalization options. Today new details have been released that enhance the package. One of them is a regenerative braking option, enabling you to select “Standard” or “Low”. Regenerative braking is one of the major differences in the driving experience of electric and hybrid vehicles. When you take your foot of the accelerator, there is a bit of a pullback (similar to downshifting) as the car turns motion into energy. For some it is a welcomed thing; others an annoyance. One caveat though; on low you have the less range. Adjustability isn’t just down to the regen though; it includes steering and suspension options.

For the steering, you can select from Comfort, Standard and Sport. The ride height also has options for Very High, High, Standard and Low. Nifty. Also, every Tuesday until June 22nd be sure to check out “Inside Tesla.” There, they will reveal different aspects of the manufacturing process each week. On launch day, there will also be a celebratory employee event and a delivery ceremony streamed live on teslamotors.com. We can’t wait!

To us enthusiasts, the shining star of Subaru’s lineup is the Impreza WRX. It has a lot of staunch fans, and there’s always strong debate between the WRX and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution camps.

While we quite sure what is going on with the Evolution, Subaru is fully committed to the WRX. In fact, for the next-generation model it will play an even bigger role in the lineup than ever. Crazily enough, the WRX has always took the subpar Impreza and turned it into something special.

Next time around though, it will get more individuality, dropping the Impreza tag from its name. The current WRX is based on the previous Impreza – WRX didn’t get redesigned at the same time as the rest of the line. This is the beginning step of the separation plan. Now comes some surprising news about the car’s future. Motor Trend reports that we’ve already gotten a good look at the WRX – at least year’s Tokyo Auto Show in the form of the Advanced Tourer Concept.

None of us expected that, and MT says they didn’t either. To be honest, Advanced Tourer is far from where we think the WRX should be. Subaru apparently disagrees though, as the next-gen model is expected to be more “mature.” Mature?! The WRX has never been mature. According to MT, the WRX will get a boost in size as well, along with much more aggressive styling. If this is true (which we aren’t certain about), we are uncertain about the WRX’s future. The Advanced Tourer Concept is too big and long to be a WRX, which is a car whose appeal was in its rally-like nature. So far we’ve heard some “out there” things about the WRX – it is getting an electric turbocharger, becoming a large grand tourer. We’ll have to see what comes of it.

Sometimes things work out better in theory than in practice. Rolls-Royce is finding that to be the case with electric power. A few years back images of a Phantom surfaced with “Dual Mode” hybrid badges.

It turned out to be the owner pulling a joke, but the idea has been considered. More seriously though, an electric Phantom has been brought up for discussion numerous times over the past few years. We remember hearing about it back in 2009. Then, last year the 102EX Concept was shown off in Geneva. Former Chief Executive Tom Purves endorsed the idea enthusiastically.

In 2009 he said:“Many of our customers do small mileages exclusively in the city…for these customers, an electric Rolls-Royce would be ideal…..we stand for unmatched refinement and you can’t get a quieter and less intrusive engine than a well engineered electric motor…..we also stand for strong and instant torque – and an electric motor delivers maximum torque instantly. The ‘waftability’ would be fantastic.”

Those things are all true. Electric fits in perfectly with Rolls values on a lot of fronts.
The “waftability” factor has been put forth as the ultimate definition of what makes a Rolls Royce a Rolls Royce. Quiet, creamy smooth, no shifting from a transmission, lots of low end torque – perfect right? Not so fast says Motor Trend. Given that the idea was being seriously considered, the 102EX Concept was produced to gain feedback from customers. The result? Rolls found out that its buyers really love their 12-cylinder engines.

“I haven’t yet seen a blank check on my desk to say ‘Torsten, build me an electric Rolls-Royce” says current CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös. “Over 500 people have been behind the wheel now, all over the world. The feedback is ambivalent so far, unfortunately. I wouldn’t have thought that. Because I’ve always loved the car from the very beginning……the clear feedback is, there’s too much compromise.”

Compromise refers to 8 hour charge times and a range of 120 miles. Rolls buyers are wealthy, so the thinking was an electric Phantom could just be added to their fleet. The prospect of such an expensive vehicle with limited capability proved to be too much to stomach though. Nothing being stranded on the side of the road with your electric Rolls! So while the 102EX had a lot going for it, those two handicaps did it in. Given it is keen on developing alternative power options, it will be interesting to see what Rolls Royce tries out next.

The 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid is an all-new model that combines the best hybrid technology and adds pure electric drive. 

Up until just recently, hybrid models were not moving off dealer lots and most buyers didn’t really understand the new technology. But as gas prices have risen to $4 per gallon, sales of hybrids have skyrocketed. Toyota has benefitted as they have a number of hybrid models for buyers to choose from like the 2012 Prius c and the 2012 Camry hybrid model.

And now Toyota has added another new hybrid model to the mix with the all-new 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid. And Toyota is happy with the reception it is receiving from buyers. The 2012 Toyota Prius plug-in Hybrid has only been on sale for two months, but it is the third fastest selling car in the U.S. in the month of April. What’s even more interesting is the fact that the Prius plug-in is only being sold in select states with nationwide availability beginning in 2013.

The 2012 Toyota Prius plug-in Hybrid combines the best of both worlds

Many people have been afraid of electric vehicles because of the lack of understanding on how the technology works. EV’s have been associated with “range anxiety” issues, and are struggling with gaining wide-spread acceptance among buyers. But the new 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid is changing all that by combining the best of hybrid technology and adding a pure electric drive system.

It’s really the best of both worlds: full electric power to eliminate gasoline consumption when it’s in electric mode, and a small fuel-efficient internal combustion engine that kicks in when the electricity runs out. If the driver goes farther than his electric charge allows, there is the gasoline alternative to fall back on eliminating the worry of being stranded on the side of the road.

The 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid uses a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine combined with the 4.4 kWh lithium-ion batter for the electric power source. Together they send a total 134 horsepower to the front wheels through a specialized continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid has strength’s and weaknesses

The big advantage for the Prius Plug-In Hybrid is a fast recharge time: about 3 hours on a standard 120-volt home outlet, says Toyota, or half that time on a larger 240-volt outlet. A 24-foot cable charger comes with the car, and there’s also an optional third-party home charging solution.

The biggest drawback is the Prius plug-in Hybrid has a limited electric range of 15 miles before the battery is depleted. For those commuters who live close to work, that wouldn’t be a problem. But if you live farther away, the back-up gasoline engine will need to be used. The similar plug-in Chevy Volt can travel 25-30 miles on a single charge.

The front-wheel-drive Prius Plug-in Hybrid has plenty of power and feels stable at highway speeds. But the small hatchback is really designed for city driving and that is where it feels most at home. It is great for zipping in and out of traffic and is easy to park because of its size.

The 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid is selling quickly because it gets an estimated 95 mpg electric/gasoline fuel mileage and 50 mpg gasoline only. The starting price of the new Plug-in Hybrid is $32,000, but don’t expect to find one easily. The car is only offered in certain states, but will be available nationwide beginning next year.

Before You Buy

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