Will this kerosene-electric coupe become China’s very first supercar?

By Ronan Glon February 21, 2017

Techrules GT96

Few took Chinese startup Techrules seriously when it displayed a futuristic concept at last year’s Geneva Auto Show. Much to the industry’s surprise, the company has announced that its design study will spawn a production model named GT96 before the end of the year.

Techrules has enlisted the help of renowned Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son Fabrizio to make the car a reality. A sketch published on the brand’s official Facebook page suggests the front-end features an even more dramatic design, while the cabin has been reduced to a fighter jet-like cockpit with the driver’s seat mounted right in the middle of the car.

Related Videos

The most surprising part of the GT96 is its drivetrain, however. Instead of using a traditional internal combustion engine, it’s fitted with a kerosene-powered micro turbine that generates the electricity needed to power the six electric motors that spin the wheels. The specifications are jaw-dropping, at least on paper. The drivetrain produces 1,030 horsepower, which is enough to send the GT96 from 0 to 62 mph in 2.5 seconds and on to a top speed that’s electronically limited to 217 mph.

The GT96 is projected to boast a driving range of over 1,200 miles, and return approximately 1,306 miles per gallon — neither of those figures are typos. If those projections are accurate, the GT96 will be the most efficient car in the world by a long shot. The technology is unproven at best, though Beijing-based Techrules emphasizes that it’s currently testing a prototype on the Silverstone race track in England.

If all goes as planned, Techrules’ GT96 will earn the honor of being the China’s first supercar. The production model is scheduled to greet the public for the first time early next month at the Geneva Auto Show. L.M. Gianetti will manufacture the car in Turin, Italy, and production will be limited to approximately 25 examples annually. No pricing information has been announced yet.

Unsurprisingly, it sounds like Techrules didn’t manage to certify its kerosene-electric supercar for street use. British magazine Autocar reports the GT96 will debut as a track-only model that cannot be legally driven on a public road. However, the company’s plans for the future include a toned-down, street-legal variant of the GT96.

Updated on 02-21 2017 by Ronan Glon: Added official information about the production car.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

News

NASA’s experimental electric plane takes ‘major step’ toward first flight

An illustration of NASA's experimental X-57 electric airplane.

NASA says its experimental electric airplane has taken a "major step" toward its maiden flight after successfully completing thermal testing of its cruise motor controllers.

The space agency has been working on the fully electric X-57 Maxwell aircraft since 2016 with the goal of creating an efficient and quiet flying machine that’s kinder to the environment.

Cars

10 electric cars with the longest range

Lucid Air

Electric cars are becoming increasingly common, but there’s still one issue that new EV buyers run into — range anxiety. Because charging isn’t as easy or as quick as filling up a tank of gas, range can make or break an EV — it dictates how far you’ll be able to drive before you run out of juice.

Electric cars will continue to gain longer and longer ranges over time, but there are already some impressively long-range cars available. Here’s a look at the electric cars with the longest range.
Lucid Air Dream Edition

Cars

Robotaxis have a passenger problem that no one thought of

gm cruise to test fully driverless cars in san francisco

An issue with self-driving cars that apparently no one previously considered has come to light: dozing passengers.

Officials in San Francisco, where Alphabet’s Waymo company and GM-backed Cruise are currently operating robotaxi services as part of ongoing trials, highlighted the problem in a recent letter to the regulator, Wired reported.