At the recent Seoul Motor Show in Seoul, South Korea, GM unveiled its latest performance concept car; the Chevy “Miray” roadster. The Miray has all the aggressive styling cues you would expect from perhaps a futuristic Corvette or Camaro model. The menacing front and rear fascias, razor sharp curves, and meaty tires tucked into the wheel wells will likely leave you imaging the Miray doing smoky power-slides as its throaty V8 roars at full song.

You might be surprised to find that the Miray is actually powered by two mid-mounted 15kwh electric motors, charged by a 16kwh lithium ion battery. And rather than plugging the car in every night, the battery is charged through the car’s brake system. But not to worry, the Miray does still pack a bit of a punch.

A tiny 1.5L turbo charged 4-cylinder kicks in whenever you feel like letting loose on your favorite track or back road. Some of the Miray’s other performance features include an array of lightweight carbon fiber body panels, and a transmission that allows the driver to choose between front and rear wheel drive with the flip of a switch.

With so much emphasis being placed on fuel efficiency, it seems likely we will see more and more sports cars like the Miray from American car makers. Lightweight cars with smaller engines, even electric engines, are undoubtedly becoming a trend, but what does all this mean for the future of V8 performance? Will the throaty roar of a V8 someday be replaced by the buzz of an electric engine? What do you think?