I useally compare cars like the Ren to the Batmobile, but I dunno if Batman could handle a 1200hp, diesel fed, jet-turbine EV. Techrules has returned to Geneva this year with a “production” version of their Hybred EV supercar that debuted in concept form last year.
The Ren delivers some amazing performance with really innovative design principles packed in for extra fun. Its drivetrain is designed to be customisable, but centers around a diesel fueled micro-turbine and lithium polymer batteries that power electric motors.
Techrules has given three possible configurations so far, and depending on how many motors and batteries you want your Ren built with, it can make up to 1,287hp. The body is hand crafted, with lots of work done by Gianetti in Turin. No prices have been given thus far for the 12 models that they expect to produce every year, but they will be expensive.
The micro-turbine engine technology is produced and patented by Techrules, and operates at around 96,000 rpm. They had to develop turbines with non-contact bearings, due to the failure of traditional bearings at that rate of rotation. They developed air and magnetic bearings that do the job, but don’t expect your local garage to have spares lying around.
The modular design philosophy that the Ren revolves around allows the buyer to select how many motors, seats and turbines are built into their car. If you opt for the six-motor variety that produces 1287hp you can do 0-60 in 2.5 seconds. For those of you who prefer to configure your Ren for economy, you can expect to drive more than 1200 miles without a fill-up.
Unlike many show cars, Techrules expects the Ren to go into production soon. While the 12 Ren that are produced yearly will obviously go to the super-rich, Techrules plans to use this design for another sports car that will have a production run of around 100,000 per year. These will go to the only sort-of super-rich, I would imagine.
The Techrules Ren is an extremely interesting specimen. We are all excited to see how it behaves once it is released into the wild, and gets to interact with other supercars.
[via arstechnica]
