Kepler Motors Unveils 800-HP Hybrid Supercar With Claimed 2.5-Second 0-60 Speed
By Scott Doggett December 14, 2009
Update: EcoBoost engine picked for performance, not fuel economy.
Kepler Motors, a California boutique automotive manufacture, announced today that it will unveil its 800-horsepower Motion gasoline-electric supercar at the Dubai International Motor Show, which starts Wednesday and runs through Sunday.
The all-wheel-drive vehicle gets its power from a 550-hp, modified Ford EcoBoost twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 that drives the rear wheels and acts independently of a 250-hp electric motor that drives the front wheels.
The Costa Mesa automaker said in a statement that the motion was developed from the ground up and incorporates a number of leading-edge technologies such as active suspension, launch control and programmable track assistant system.
Those technologies, use of carbon fiber composite materials for the chassis and body, and an aerodynamically efficient design help the Motion reach 60 miles an hour in 2.5 seconds. The vehicle's top speed is said to be more than 200 mph.
Kepler said only 50 Motions will be produced, with deliveries starting in 2011. The automaker was founded by Russ Wicks, the only living person to hold world speed records over for more than 200 mph on land and water.
Kepler spokesman Brian Towey told Green Car Advisor that the company chose to fit the Motion with a Ford EcoBoost engine because it's "a super-flexible piece of equipment...an outstanding motor."
The engine could be easily modified to Kepler's performance demands, Towey said, not because of its fuel efficiency, which is what Ford's EcoBoost engines are known for.
When asked what kind of fuel-economy figures the Motion achieves, Towey said it's never been calculated. As for the vehicle's price, he said Kepler was targeting the Motion to compete with million-dollar supercars and left it at that.
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