Chinese brand previews kerosene-electric supercar

Techrules\' first production car will debut at the Geneva Auto Show.

An ambitious Chinese startup named Techrules has announced plans to introduce the nation's very first supercar.

Called GT96, the model was previewed by a wildly futuristic concept that debuted at last year's Geneva Auto Show. The Beijing-based company hired renown Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son, Fabrizio, to tweak the coupe's lines as it transitions from a concept to a production model.

Power will be provided by a decidedly science fiction-esque plug-in hybrid drivetrain made up of a micro turbine and six electric motors. In simple terms, the turbine charges the battery pack that zaps the motors -- two up front, four out back -- used to drive the wheels. The setup delivers 1,030 horsepower, enough to send the GT96 from zero to 62 mph in 2.5 seconds and on to a top speed that's electronically limited to 217 mph. The catch is that it burns aviation kerosene, according to British magazine Autocar.

A 2.5-second zero-to-60 sprint is impressive, but the car's other stats are downright jaw-dropping -- at least on paper. The GT96 boasts a driving range of roughly 1,242 miles, and it returns approximately 1,306 miles per gallon. And while it all sounds too good to be true, Beijing-based Techrules stresses that it has already started testing a fully-functional prototype on the Silverstone track in the United Kingdom.

The production version of Techrules' GT96 is scheduled to make its public debut next month at the Geneva Auto Show. It will be built in Turin, Italy, by L.M. Gianetti, and production will be limited to about 25 examples annually. Pricing information hasn't been announced yet.

The GT96 will not be a street-legal model -- at least not yet. It will debut as a track-only car, but a toned-down version of it that's compliant with safety and emissions regulations in most major markets will arrive in a few years' time.