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Tony Curcio · 04-11-2012, 08:40 PM

There is a benefit to having a strong* hybrid, a benefit that Toyota has only just started advertising for the 2012 model year Camry- it's like having a power adder.

My 2008 Camry hybrid has a 120 HP gas engine and an electric motor that adds the equivalent of 60 more HP, for a total of 180 in a 2600 lb car.The 2012 now has a total of 200 hp. The torque is instantaneous when rolling, but the traction control won't allow it to launch hard.

I took it down to the Maxton Mile and entered in the E/Production class. The record was a tad over 125 mph, set by a 1960 Ford Ranchero (a Falcon pick up truck) with a full-race Pinto 2300 cc OHC engine. Headers, ported heads, race cam, no rules that limit compression.

My box-stock Camry was classified by displacement, no penalty for the extra motor. I hit the chip about 200 feet from the line, and coasted through with the engine still shut off, clocked at 118.7+. The chip was set for 120, and it's clear it would have picked up a few more mph with the speedometer recalibrated or taller tires on the drive wheels.

It also ran back to back 15.90's at Cecil County on a sweltering hot July afternoon. The ECM won't let the tires spin, so the 60 foot times were atrocious, and the only way to cut a light is to use a technique Michael Beard once described when he raced his mother's car- which is to put down the visor to block the top bulb, then react to the SECOND yellow.

Not quite the slug I expected when I bought it. I got it when gasoline was over $4.00 at the end of 2007 and early 2008, thinking I'd hate it, but the V-8 pick up truck I was using had cost me $9600 for fuel that year (I drive a lot), so I was gonna suck it up. Instead, it saved almost $400/mo, and I really piss off the Mustang 5.0 drivers on I-95, when I pull away from them in high gear.

BTW- hybrids do not need to be recharged, and Toyota offers an extended warranty that covers the inevitable battery replacement. Mine is at 145,000 miles and in its fifth year.
*none of the domestics are strong hybrids- except the new Ford Focus.

04-11-2012, 08:40 PM	#27
Tony Curcio Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: West Chester, PA Posts: 271 Likes: 1 Liked 4 Times in 1 Post	Re: Is the Hybrid really the solution? There is a benefit to having a strong* hybrid, a benefit that Toyota has only just started advertising for the 2012 model year Camry- it's like having a power adder. My 2008 Camry hybrid has a 120 HP gas engine and an electric motor that adds the equivalent of 60 more HP, for a total of 180 in a 2600 lb car.The 2012 now has a total of 200 hp. The torque is instantaneous when rolling, but the traction control won't allow it to launch hard. I took it down to the Maxton Mile and entered in the E/Production class. The record was a tad over 125 mph, set by a 1960 Ford Ranchero (a Falcon pick up truck) with a full-race Pinto 2300 cc OHC engine. Headers, ported heads, race cam, no rules that limit compression. My box-stock Camry was classified by displacement, no penalty for the extra motor. I hit the chip about 200 feet from the line, and coasted through with the engine still shut off, clocked at 118.7+. The chip was set for 120, and it's clear it would have picked up a few more mph with the speedometer recalibrated or taller tires on the drive wheels. It also ran back to back 15.90's at Cecil County on a sweltering hot July afternoon. The ECM won't let the tires spin, so the 60 foot times were atrocious, and the only way to cut a light is to use a technique Michael Beard once described when he raced his mother's car- which is to put down the visor to block the top bulb, then react to the SECOND yellow. Not quite the slug I expected when I bought it. I got it when gasoline was over $4.00 at the end of 2007 and early 2008, thinking I'd hate it, but the V-8 pick up truck I was using had cost me $9600 for fuel that year (I drive a lot), so I was gonna suck it up. Instead, it saved almost $400/mo, and I really piss off the Mustang 5.0 drivers on I-95, when I pull away from them in high gear. BTW- hybrids do not need to be recharged, and Toyota offers an extended warranty that covers the inevitable battery replacement. Mine is at 145,000 miles and in its fifth year. *none of the domestics are strong hybrids- except the new Ford Focus. __________________ Tony Curcio 1860 STK