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Austro-Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 Shooting Grand packs a plug-in hybrid surprise

This sleek gullwinged sports car has a historic name, striking looks and a modern PHEV heart.

Chris Paukert
Following stints in TV news production and as a record company publicist, Chris spent most of his career in automotive publishing. Mentored by Automobile Magazine founder David E. Davis Jr., Paukert succeeded Davis as editor-in-chief of Winding Road, a pioneering e-mag, before serving as Autoblog's executive editor from 2008 to 2015. Chris is a Webby and Telly award-winning video producer and has served on the jury of the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards. He joined the CNET team in 2015, bringing a small cache of odd, underappreciated cars with him.
Chris Paukert
Austro-Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 at Villa d'Este
1 of 16 Chris Paukert/Roadshow

The Austro-Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 has just debuted at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in Italy.

Austro-Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 at Villa d'Este
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The two-seat sports coupe features a plug-in hybrid powertrain good for 1,198 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque.

Austro-Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 at Villa d'Este
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That insane amount of power is made possible by a 55-kWh rear-mounted battery pack which feeds a three-motor hybrid system.

A 4.0-liter gasoline-powered inline-six has been borrowed from the Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe.

Austro-Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 at Villa d'Este
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The Bergmeister also uses some Mercedes suspension bits, windshield and other pieces, but it looks convincingly reengineered.

Austro-Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 at Villa d'Este
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If the company's name is familiar, that's because Austro-Daimler is a resurrected brand that last made automobiles in 1934. 

Austro-Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 at Villa d'Este
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Yes, the Bergmeister features gullwing doors, but they aren't the same as those of the old Mercedes SLS AMG sports car.

Austro-Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 at Villa d'Este
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Long, low and wide, the Bergmeister features a double-bubble roofline for increased headroom and more distinctive looks.

Austro-Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 at Villa d'Este
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0-62 mph is pegged at 2.5 seconds, and the car's top speed is said to be well over 200 mph.

Austro-Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 at Villa d'Este
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The Bergmeister boasts 50:50 weight distribution, which should put driver and passenger right in the literal center of the action.

Austro-Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 at Villa d'Este
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The Bergmeister's PHEV architecture is said to be good for 155 miles of pure-electric range, or some 500 miles when combined with the gas engine.

The battery and power electronics are designed to work with 150-kW chargers.

Austro-Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 at Villa d'Este
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Pricing for this model is not available, but it's likely to be well into six figures, if not seven.

Austro-Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 at Villa d'Este
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Headlamps feature subtle inner detailing that was inspired by 1930s Art Deco styling.

Austro-Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 at Villa d'Este
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The Bergmeister's body is composed of carbon and aluminum panels draped over a bespoke aluminum spaceframe.

Austro-Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 at Villa d'Este
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As it was in the 1930s, Austro-Daimler's taut bow-and-arrow emblem returns.

Austro-Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 at Villa d'Este
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This car was designed and is being assembled by Austro-Daimler's partner, Ideenion Automobile AG. 

Ideenion is a design and prototyping firm that specializes in building concept cars. They've worked with companies like Audi and Bosch.

Austro-Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 at Villa d'Este
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The company isn't saying how many of these cars it plans to build, but they did acknowledge that they'd like to do a convertible version and a second, smaller car, as well.

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