2010 Hispano Suiza V10 Coupe - Images, Specifications and Information

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An esteemed automotive brand is experiencing a stunning revival at the Geneva International Motor Show: Hispano Suiza. A Swiss-Spanish company is presenting a new super-premium sports car under this marque. It clearly accentuates the exclusivity of the brand and is the first of its kind with hybrid drive.

Unsurpassed quality, superb technology, exceptional comfort and ample performance - but still ideally suited for everyday driving. These are the principles that Marc Birkigt, the Swiss founder of the original Hispano Suiza company, strove for in all of his inspired designs. The new Granturismo lives up to this brand distinction in every respect.

The car has a chassis constructed with aluminum space-frame technology, as well as a lightweight, yet extremely stable, carbon body. In the initial version of the car, a ten-cylinder V-engine, assisted by two electrically-powered superchargers, generates 750 HP - power that is abundant enough to propel the Hispano Suiza from a standing stop to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 3.4 seconds. The permanent all-wheel drive ensures sufficient traction to deliver this power to the road, guaranteeing not only extraordinary driving performance but also outstanding handling.

With an access height of 1,250 millimeters (49 inches), Hispano Suiza drivers will enjoy complete ease of entry - uncommon for a car of this performance class. The interior, furnished in leather, aluminum and carbon, is ergonomic yet of superior quality and refinement. Consequently, the Granturismo was made not only to attest to its racing pedigree - it is equally at home cruising down metropolitan thoroughfares. In the next evolutionary stage, this will even be accomplished silently and without exhaust emissions. True to the tradition of Hispano Suiza - one of the inventors of hybrid drive technology - a drive of this type (combining internal combustion and electric motive power) is currently being developed for the car. With this, the GT ascends to a new level of performance. At the rear axle, propulsion is provided by the supercharged, ten-cylinder engine. The front wheels are driven by a separate, 150 HP electric motor that draws electricity from a battery pack at the front of the car. This combination boosts the Hispano Suiza's output to 900 HP if needed. Under urban driving conditions, the electric motor can power the car by itself, of course.

First-run models of the conventionally powered Granturismo will be ready for delivery in six months. The base price will be 700,000 EUR. Additional pricing for the hybrid model will be determined at a later date. Advanced planning is already taking place now, however. As soon as next year, a roadster will join the model lineup.