Magnificent, money-off hybrids | Six of the Best
Hybrid performance has become the combustion benchmark - but only for the super-rich. This is the best of the rest
BMW i8, 2015, 38k, £39,990
Hybrids, you might have noticed, are all the rage. Not so very long ago, the concept was dismissed by some as a meaningless cul de sac on the way to wholesale electrification - but that grossly underestimated the market’s affection for the century-old combustion engine. These days, virtually every new supercar is a hybrid, and while they’ve not all been brilliant, some (like the Revuelto or the 911 T-Hybrid) have broken new ground, while keeping the spotlight very much on the oily bit. Of course, if you want the original petrol-electric ground-breaker, you’re looking at it. The BMW i8 was a remarkable toe in the water back in 2014. It is also the shining example of what we’re talking about here: brand-new, it was a six-figure prospect. Now, for a one-owner, low-mile example, you’ll pay around £40k. Talk about the best of both worlds.
McLaren Artura, 2023, 3k, £129,990
Flash forward a decade and the Artura proved just how good a hybrid could be if you went at the idea full tilt. Granted, McLaren’s notion of ‘full tilt’ created numerous teething problems - some of them dramatic - but in the fullness of time a fantastic supercar emerged, every bit as feelsome as the model it replaced. Perhaps it helped that Woking had never coaxed a truly memorable noise from its V8, yet the introduction of the twin-turbocharged, 120-degree V6 was no bit player, nor its hybrid system a redundant add-on. Make no mistake, beneath the top-tier, silly money options, this is arguably the best part-electrified supercar you can buy - which makes it all the more pleasing that just a few years on from its launch, you can have an early example like this one for around £70k off list. Mental.
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, 2019, 95k, £40,995
The Turbo S E-Hybrid is perhaps a less clear-cut solution insofar as it was sold alongside non-hybridised versions of the Panamera that were clearly better to drive (the GTS, for example, was 200hp behind in horsepower, but arguably twice as good on a brittle stretch of B road). But that was then: now, in the power-to-pound ratio, the flagship looks decidedly more interesting. And that's because a high-mile example like this one can be had for hot hatch money - and when you consider that it buys you not only a proper, all-singing 4.0-litre V8, but also the fit and finish of a Porsche interior (not to mention the peerless status of the badge), you can probably forget about it being a slightly less lively steer than its lighter siblings. A compelling head-over-heart purchase, in other words.
Honda NSX (NC1), 2017, 13k, PH Auctions
Talk about history repeating itself. Just like the original NSX, the second gen showed the rest of the world where the mid-engined supercar was heading years before the more established brands. In the '90s, that meant supercars that you could see out of, and use every day; a decade ago it was a turbo V6 with hybrid help, just like the Artura and 296 GTB crow about today. But because both NSXs seemed a bit futuristic and had Honda badges on, buyers weren’t so keen - pity. With a nine-speed DCT and three electric motors, this 2017 NSX boasts everything we’d currently expect of a new exotic. Only now it’s a more affordable, super rare, really significant secondhand supercar. This PH Auctions car has minimal mileage and great history in its favour - plus some genuine YouTube fame…
AMG GT 4-Door E-Performance, 2023, 10k, £112,950
Always a gloriously niche AMG ‘bahnstormer, don’t be surprised if the first AMG GT 4-door is reevaluated over the coming months. Because, well, have you seen the second one? What was always mean and moody, if not the prettiest car in the world, now looks like a Mercedes masterpiece. And there was plenty to the GT 4-door package beyond the appearance, driving with real purpose and energy while accelerating like a cannonball. Those attributes were cranked even further for the wild E-Performance, with more than 800hp. Sure, the electric range was pitiful and the weight massive, but the experience was unforgettable. And value? This one has almost £80k off 10,000 miles. It’ll be a lot longer before it’s another £80k less - if ever, given the reaction to the new one…
Ferrari 296 GTB, 2023, 10k, £185,000
Trust Ferrari to take its time with a technology, then deliver the very best version of it. (So maybe there’s hope for the Luce yet.) Despite the advancing years of the previous F8 Tributo, there was still some angst around replacing the turbo V8 with a hybrid V6. Much as there was when the turbo V8 superseded the old 4.5. The concern didn’t take very long to confound; like all the best berlinettas, the 296 was bewitching to drive, deft and delicate despite the weight gain, only now with hybrid hypercar performance on top. And a return to genuinely pretty mid-engined Ferraris. That roster of talents made the 296 popular when new; add that to the buyer uncertainty around used electrified supercars and there are huge savings around. This smartly specced 2023 car is £185k, or little more than a much older 488 with similar miles…
The BMW has gown on me looks wise, still looking current and good now for a 12 year old design.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
This article prompted me to take a look and the curio is still available. Now with an additional forty grand lopped off the original asking.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202603311...
Which still looks to be an outlying purchase opportunity.
A diverting list. I imagine some might be interesting to drive or have in your life one way or another but none appeal to me sufficiently in this world. Glad the BMW and the Honda exist, though.
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