Although it’s still in concept form, the next Bristol GT will feature distinctive hybrid technology, including hardware, batteries, and even software algorithms. It’ll feature electric drive motors at each of the four wheels and a large, onboard lithium-ion battery pack powered by – of all things – an 800cc Wankel rotary engine.
All combined, Bristol owner Kamal Siddiqi wants the new GT to achieve 100mpg in the city and also have a top speed of 200mph for less than $300,000.
If it comes together, it’ll be an interesting beast for sure. As it stands, the GT is roughly the size of the Bentley Continental GT, according to Autocar. At that size, it’ll have to be mighty efficient to achieve such lofty mpg goals.
It seems like a great vehicle on paper but one feature jumped out at us as being a bit out of place: the Wankel rotary engine. While the unique little engines can create a lot of power from a tiny amount of displacement, they seem to be imperfect electricity generators. Specifically, they burn a lot of oil.
Oil burning is not a huge concern for those in their sporty Mazda RX-8s but in an eco-minded supercar, it seems odd.
Regardless of its distinctive and oddball powertrain, we’re excited to see if the Bristol GT will actually come to fruition. Who knows when that will be, however, so check back for more updates.
Photo credit: Autocar
