Would you pay more for a high performance trimline of a car intended to focus on higher mileage? How much economy are you willing to compromise for better performance?

I am among those who loves the idea of a super-efficient car, but I still want some power...the work that many companies are doing with twin turbo and direct injection is yielding much better performance and economy, so could the hybrid market need to offer some performance?

I want 600hp and 35 mpg in a 2500# car

It can't be 100% loss of economy. The Honda Accord hybrid already taught that lesson. It had much better performance than the standard accord, but zero fuel economy gains.

I'm not sure how much overlap there is with auto performance enthusiasts vs. hybrid auto enthusiasts. Most hybrid owners seem interested first to tweak their fuel economy.

I really do think the NAH is at a sweet spot for performance vs. economy. I wish there were more cars on the market in this range besides the NAH & the TCH. I could have gained 15 or more additional miles per gallon with a Civic or Prius, but they really felt too much like "economy" cars.

If you can keep the economy above 35mpg you should be fine. I'm not really willing to lose anymore than my current 35 mpg, but I might might be interested in gaining a bit more horsepower. I would be happy with a way to switch into a "performance" mode with my NAH, where my gas mileage would drop, but I had more horsepower. It would stay in standard most of the time, but I'd be happy with the option.

Drop 1000 lbs off the altima hybrid and watch both the fuel economy and performance go through the roof! :-))) OR how about just building a light car with a powerfull hybrid drivetrain?

My other car is a GTI. Performance wise it leaves the NAH begging for mercy, still gets 30mpg (premium though), costs about the same at 26K, and I can toss in a pair of bp7002's with the rear seats folded with enough room to spare for a month's worth of Costco shopping. The day VW starts selling a hybrid GTI, I am going to trade in my NAH.

Also, more on the question at hand... I would love to buy a tesla roadster, but I don't have that much money :-)

--A