Newspress

Like all auto shows, Geneva has its share of vaporware projects that never go beyond the first hopeful display of dreams. Most people would have filed Techrules’ turbine hybrid, seen in concept form a year ago, in the same category. But at this year’s Geneva International Motor Show, which opened to the public on March 9, the Chinese R&D company was back with a production version of its supercar—and big plans for more accessible machines based on the same formula.

That formula is as simple as it is breathtaking. The Techrules Ren—the name comes from a Chinese word that roughly translates as ‘benevolence’—is a carbon composite supercar with race-style pushrod suspension and a modular layout with up to three seats. Power comes from TREV, the Turbine-Recharging Electric Vehicle system that uses one or more micro-turbines to drive generators that recharge the vehicle’s lithium polymer batteries and power up to six traction motors.