Yes, hybrid cars can hit the drag strip, too. The record-keeping boffins at Guinness World Records have certified the 2012 Infiniti M35h as the world’s fastest full-hybrid car. The car rocketed through a quarter-mile run in an average of 13.9 seconds over multiple runs.
The M35h uses a 3.5-liter V-6 engine with 302 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, as well as an electric motor rated for 67 hp and 199 lb-ft. Together, the motor and engine combine for a peak 360 hp. Yet even with all that performance on tap, the EPA rates the Infiniti hybrid at 27/32 mpg (city/highway).
The record-setting run was driven by CAR Magazine associate editor Tim Pollard at Santa Pod Raceway in the U.K. Out of several runs, the quickest took just 13.896 seconds. Adjudicators from Guinness World Records were on hand to help verify the world record, which will be listed in the 2013 Guinness Book of Records.
According to Infiniti, the quarter-mile time puts the M35h on par with the performance of a 1982 Lamborghini Countach S and 1998 BMW M3. Infiniti also says the M35h will hit 62 mph in just 5.5 seconds — about as quick as a 2011 BMW 335i sedan.
