The Rinspeed E2 concept represents an "answer to the fast changing requirements of the market and sociopolitical perception about the tuning industry," according to the press release.
The company starts with an Abarth-tuned 160-hp Fiat 500, and outfits the car with an energy management system which the driver can control with a button. In "Commuting" mode, the E2 generates just enough power for city-driving: 60 hp. In this mode, Rinspeed estimates the hatchback will return above 55 mpg. For a bit more enthusiasm, the driver can select "Highway" mode, which provides an additional 100 hp to the near 2000 lb hatch. Here fuel economy falls to a still-respectable 33 mpg, Rinspeed claims.
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