If you like the idea of a front-engined, rear drive sports coupe that gives you decent performance without sucking back too much gas, you may be happy to hear that Nissan is considering resuscitating the 200SX, globally known as the Silvia. Emphasis on "considering." Junichi Endo, Nissan's senior vice president of global marketing, puts the chances at 50/50 saying that it all comes down to "marketability." They haven't decided if car buyers can swallow the "performance hybrid" concept in a vehicle whose name conjured up thoughts of turbochargers in times past. Well, except for those that were based on the front-drive Sentra from '95 to '98. Those don't conjure up anything.

If the consumer-survey coin comes up heads and they decide to make it they won't have to shoulder the entire "hybrids can be fast and sexy" education burden alone. Honda has already announced production of their sports hybrid, the two-seater CR-Z and that other little Japanese manufacturer, what's their name...oh yes, Toyota, is said to be working collaboratively with Subaru to produce a performance hybrid via the hot FT-HS coupe concept.

These are merely Nissan's near-term ideas though. It's longer-term goals are still highly focused on a good portion of their line-up becoming electric. In an article on the Australian Drive.com, Endo is further quoted as saying, "In the very short term, probably a hybrid front-engine, rear-wheel drive [sports car] ... would be a good candidate. In the mid term an electric vehicle is a strong candidate we are looking at." To which we can only blithely reply, "Bring it on."

[Source: Drive]

Britain has always had lots of small cottage industry car-makers that exist in varying degrees of obscurity. Most of these manufacturers usually have spotty quality and reliability and never export their products off the island. They also usually exist on the hairy edge of financial solvency. Along with companies like Reliant, Caterham, Noble, Bristol and others is a company called Connaught. Connaught originally came to life in the 1950s before fading away at some point, and then being revived in 2002. They came back with a coupe powered by an odd little 2.0L narrow angle V-10(22.5 degree vee) engine with an integrated supercharger that is rated at 300 hp.

Connaught has now announced a new hybrid version of their type-d coupe which they are calling the worlds first hybrid sports coupe. This one also appears to use the basic 2.0L V-10, except that the supercharger is replaced by an electric motor. They are calling this one a mild hybrid, with a combined total output of 162 hp. Acceleration is claimed at 6.5 seconds for 0-60 mph with a curb weight of less than 1900 lbs. Fuel economy is rated at 35 mpg (US gallons) combined city/highway. The car uses a 48V electrical system and super capacitors that capture energy from the regenerative braking. The chassis is built on a light-weight steel space frame. The conventional type-d GT is priced at about $120,000, but no price seems to be available for the the hybrid version yet. More information is available at the Connaught web-site and more photos are after the jump.

[Source: Connaught]