To celebrate the September 5 release of the 2012 European Infiniti M35h Hybrid, Nissan has decided to stage an interesting race. To prove that gasoline/electric hybrids can actually be fast, Nissan Europe will pit a naturally aspirated, gasoline M37 S Premium against the M35h on the most famous racing course of all time. Piloting the two Ms on the legendary Nürburgring will be Nissan Formula One drivers, Sebastian Vettel, who will drive the hybrid, and Mark Webber who will be behind the wheel of the conventional car.
The M37 S Premium features four wheel steering, a 316 horsepower V6, rear wheel drive a 0-62 mph time of 6.2 seconds. Paired with Nissan’s electric motor and hybrid assist, the M35h features a combined 360 horsepower and out-accelerates the M37 with a 0-60 time of 5.5 seconds. despite its faster time, the M35h has more mass than the M37 and doesn’t feature four wheel steering. This should make the race results surprising as the Nürburgring blends hard sweepers with fast straights. The verdict will not be revealed until the Frankfurt Motor Show on September 13.
Source: Nissan
