A Hybrid Supercar According to Kepler Motors

Hybrids might be sought after for their fuel sipping economy but it doesn’t mean the technology can’t be used for serious performance. Find out what Kepler Motors has in store.

I first saw the Motion hybrid supercar at EVS26 back in May. This shining and dark blue car looked stunning and it was to my surprise to find two Remy electric motors lodged inside the front axle. I asked wondering what it was and stayed there close to an hour talking to the very low-key folks behind Kepler Motor. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, the men behind should.

Kepler Motor. Kepler Motors calls itself “a boutique automotive manufacturer”, which focuses on developing advanced performance vehicles for the high-end specialty car market. Kepler Motors was founded by World Speed Record Holder Russ Wicks who is the only living person to hold world speed records over 200 MPH on both land and water. Kepler’s initial product, the MOTION is a supercar unveiled at the Dubai International Motor Show in December 2009 and only 50 will ever be produced. The hand assembled vehicles will be delivered this year and will find a home with a small, exclusive and elite group of individuals, and according to the grapevine, sorry folks, they are all accounted for.

Technically Speaking. OK, let’s get the big numbers out of the way, what you can expect from this car, should you be so lucky as to actually drive one is a 0 to 60 mph in under 2.5 seconds and well over 200 mph top speed. But wait, there’s more. The front axle packs a Dual Motor Transaxle, DMT that puts out 250 HP through two electric motors, last I saw they were Remy electric motors using a lithium-ion battery pack rated at? The rest of the power is located in the back in a central position using a 550 HP Ford EcoBoost twin-turbo 3.5L V6 engine with direct injection coupled to an automated manual transmission, AMT with paddle shift, or a manual lever option.

Since the car is technically a four wheel drive, the brakes need to handle this are carbon-ceramic rotors. The front sports 380 x 32 mm rotors with six-piston calipers and the rear, 380 x 32 mm rotors, with four-piston calipers. To handle all 800 HP, the car packs what Kepler calls a Dual Powertrain Technology, DPT, which helps the launch control and the passenger safety cell is made out of carbon composite. Aerodynamically speaking, the car holds an impressive coefficient, 0.30 drag with an adjustable automatic rear wing. Impressed yet?

So what does all of this look like? Watch below and try to behave.

As far as looks, the car holds its own very well. Slightly reminiscent of the original McLaren, the car is low enough in the front, swooping aerodynamic windshield and stunning backside. In essence, this is the quintessential supercar, boyhood fantasy we’ve all had secretly. As to its closest competitor? It would seem so far the Porsche 918 could only rival it.

More than just a supercar, the Kepler Motion is the result of year of studies and how far hybrid technology has come. So where are the big guns? We now Porsche is readying its mouth watering 918 and Audi is still working on iterations of its e-tron. Ferrari took down 6 hybrid IPs back in 2009 and we can only imagine Toyota and Peugeot are working on their own variety of super hybrid cars. But Kepler is discreet, almost incognito and all cars are rumored to have found their garage.

Kepler Motors is what makes this country so great. A bunch of car aficionados who turn to modern technology to create a supercar. How much? Don’t ask, you most likely can’t afford it. In the meantime, it’s good to see the Kepler Motion is up and running and we can only hope Brian will give us another shot at yet another supercar.