Many of us had hoped that hybrids would be a short-lived transitional phase of motoring, a way of getting Americans to sample the joys of electrification without having to cut their gasoline addiction cold turkey. Sadly, it's sure looking like these half-breed hybrids are going to be around for a little bit longer.

The good news is that performance car makers are figuring out what to do with bigger batteries and the greater voltages they afford, deploying that power in new and unique ways to bolster the performance of their sporty machines. In what can only be called a delightfully charged coincidence, I just so happen to have impressions of three high-octane hybrids that published on various outlets this week.

First, and most powerful by far, is the new Lamborghini Temerario. I was out in Portugal last week sampling this on the epic Estoril circuit outside of Lisbon, a track I remember fondly from watching F1 races in the '80s and ‘90s as a kid. Compared to modern Grand Prix circuits, it's narrow, dangerous, and more than a little tired. I was lucky to test the Aventador SVJ there back in 2018, and learned this year that it’s also a great place to test out a 907-horsepower hybrid.

I was a little tentative in my first time behind the wheel of the Temerario, a machine that replaces the Huracán. The Huracán has always had a special place in my heart. That was the first Lamborghini I ever drove, which was a special moment for me, someone who, like so many other children of the '80s, grew up with a picture of a Countach on the wall.

(Yes, I eventually got to drive one of those, too, a tale I told for the Autopian in 2023.)

I was also cautious because, while I think the Temerario looks delightfully racy, it just doesn't quite have the visual grace of the Huracán, which just got better and better looking with each of its many iterations over its 10 years in service.

But it's out with the old, in with the new, and damn, the Temerario is good. It uses its three electric motors and single lithium-ion battery pack to a great extent, making itself feel far lighter and its 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 feel far more responsive. It's a marvel of modern engineering, and you can read my first impressions over at Yahoo Autos.

I would really love to know how the early planning meetings for the 911 GTS and its hybrid powertrain went. Were Porsche's engineers excited by the prospect? Was there abject horror on their faces as they received the missive demanding hybridization of the company's most iconic sports car? Or, was this simply the natural evolution that progress and global emissions regulations necessitated?

I'm not sure that I'll ever know, but regardless of how traumatic its internal gestation was, the new GTS is superb. Porsche took a very different approach from your average hybrid, here seemingly using the big battery and motor as an opportunity to exploit high-voltage, and not just with a typical torque-filling electric motor.

Yes, it has one of those, but I'm far more intrigued by the other, littler electric motor, the one that's tucked inside the single, mondo turbocharger, capable of spinning it to 10,000 rpm in less than a second. It doesn't totally eliminate lag, but it does result in a 911 with big power and excellent drivability.

The final entry in the high-performance hybrid watch this week is my review of BMW's M5. If you're familiar with this car, it's probably thanks to an article decrying how heavy the thing is, and how it's a rolling testament to how BMW has lost its way.

I see those articles as published examples of people not understanding what the heck an M5 is. This is meant to be a ballistic Autobahn weapon, and the new M5 is more explosive than ever before. Yes, it's heavier, too, and when I drove a pre-production version of the thing on a race track last year for Road & Track, it understeered and plowed its way through the tighter corners thanks to that considerable heft.

But it also sent me down the bumpy, twisty back straight at somewhere north of 160 mph with very little fuss. It's insanely fast, luxurious, and incredibly good. And, you can finally get it as a wagon. Stop complaining. My only complaint is that I can’t afford the thing.

It ain't all hybrids this week, dear reader. You know I'm more fond of machines that have cut their fuel lines and gone all-electric, and indeed, I was quite fond of the A6 E-Tron that I drove in California the week before last. Audi's latest additions to its increasingly compelling E-Tron lineup offer big, luxury sedan trappings with a taste of the easy cargo access of a hatchback.

More importantly, they drive great, with surprisingly good steering feel and air suspension with excellent compliance. I sadly didn't get to drive the base, single-motor model on steel springs, but I have a feeling it's pretty good too. My only complaint? Some of the interior trimmings left a bit to be desired from a touchy/feely standpoint, but hopefully a mid-cycle refresh can raise the bar there.

Whew, that's all from me this week. As far as what I'm up to in the week ahead, I'm actually taking a little time away from travel. I'm attempting to take a little vacation, but as I've learned in my nearly three years of self-employment, taking a vacation while living the freelance life is a fraught affair.

Switching off feels like something I don’t have the privilege of doing right now, but I am at least dialing it down a bit, taking some time to enjoy my own cars and motorcycles, and to spend a little time with my fast-growing pup Koopa, who I'm absolutely convinced served as a behavioral inspiration for Krypto in the Superman movie.

I hope you all have restorative Sundays and great weeks ahead. Be well and do good.