Paris 2010: Exagon Furtive e-GT Coupe

Electric vehicles, until technology develops further, are a dead end. The state of battery technology limits the effective range of electric vehicles significantly, such that a normal-sized car running off just batteries is pretty much limited to city-driving duty.  Look at Mini's Mini-e "project" - the trunk is stuffed with batteries to the point you can't use it, but it'll still only go about 80 miles between charges.  On the other hand, gas-only vehicles are also pretty stupid.  They're more advanced and amazing than ever, but they're sucking down an admittedly finite supply of fuel.  To make the most of both of these concepts, the obvious answer has been hybrid vehicles.  The problem, of course, is twofold.  One, they usually don't live up to the hype - a Prius doesn't get considerably better mileage than a Jetta TDI running on biodiesel, and it's environmental sustainability is questionable at best.  (Where do those batteries go when you're done with them?)

Two, well... no one's actually made a hybrid anyone wants to drive.  Excuse me - a hybrid that anyone who likes driving wants to drive.  Have you ever driven a Prius?  It's unbelievably terrible.  It feels like being the hamster, stuck in the wheel.  It's about as fun as kissing your sister.  What's to be done?

One of the more popular concepts has been "range extended electric vehicles" in the past few years.  The Chevy Volt - if it ever comes out - is one, as is the impossible sexy Fisker Karma.  But how about if you want a combination of good fuel economy, long range, and absolutely explosive performance?  Well, French race-car maker Exagon Motors may have just the ticket for you.  Take a look at the Furtive e-GT Coupe.  Nice looking car, right?

Underneath the pretty skin lies a complex mechanical layout.  The Furtive e-GT uses twin Siemens electric motors to deliver a total output of 340 horsepower to the rear wheels.  Exagon claims two remarkable things - one, the Furtive can sprint from 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds, and that it can travel 250 miles before the gasoline range-extending engine kicks in, which will take you another 250 miles before the tank runs dry.  Of course, electric range depends on how fast and how hard you're driving: at a steady 30mph it'll go 250 miles before the batteries run dry, but at 81mph that distance more than halves, to 122 miles.  Still, that's and impressive range.

Some other oddities - apparently, the range-extending gas engine (of which Exagon says precisely nothing- is it a rotary?  Flux capacitor?  350 SBC?) will be optional, so you can get a purely electric Furtive if you like.  Also, in case you were wondering - Furtive means "taken, done, used, etc., surreptitiously or by stealth; secret: a furtive glance." Exactly what all that has to do with cars is beyond me. Maybe they're being Furtive about the significance of the car's name?  Perhaps if you buy one and park it next to your R8, you'll wake up the next morning with an oily aluminum cylinder head sitting under your covers, and your R8 torched in your driveway?  You sneaky Furtive e-GT, you.

Weird French name aside (anyone remember the Venturi Fetish?), the Furtive e-GT looks like a real answer to the "going fast while not killing the earth" issue that we all are going to have to face at some point.  Sure, it'll probably cost a bajillion dollars and have an engine from an ancient Renault 5 under the hood, but it's progress: it's gorgeous, it's fast, it'll be fun to drive, and it's a hybrid. That's a start!