When a fashion model struts down a runway in Paris, wearing some god-awful getup that you couldn't imagine anyone being caught dead in, it's hard to understand the point of couture or the mindset of the elite fashionista. No one — well, at least no one sane — in the real world is ever going to wear an overly revealing dress with something that looks like an elaborate birdcage on her head. But those chic designs — their colors, shapes and materials — do influence the clothing that becomes de rigueur.

The same thing holds true for automobiles. The coolest, sleekest, high-performance vehicle designs (and especially the latest propulsion technologies) often seem to appear first in the fashion-forward supercar segment. While most of these rides are priced in the stratosphere, out of the reach of regular Joes like you and me, they do serve a purpose other than making us envious of the rich and shameless who pilot them. They influence the design and technology that go into affordable production cars, trucks and sport-utility vehicles. Plus, they help offset the cost of an automaker's research and development, letting the well-heeled pay for it, instead of passing it along to the car buyer trying to make ends meet.

As green has become the new black in the auto market, electrified propulsion has become the latest pursuit in the supercar segment. We examine why and identify the most notable developments in the electrification of the supercar, in the hopes of providing you with a better view of a more eco-conscious future that doesn't involve sacrificing performance for the sake of fewer noxious emissions.

Is a Green Supercar Ridiculous?
"Electrification can co-exist with traditional powertrains in the high-performance arena," says Rob Moran, manager of product and technology public relations for Mercedes-Benz USA. He's right. Battery-powered cars can be tuned to move like a bat out of hell. It just depends on how much energy you are willing to sacrifice for the sake of speed; the faster an electric car moves, the faster its batteries will drain, severely limiting the vehicle's range.

Do performance-oriented people who buy these cars really care about making their macho machines eco-friendly? More than any other type of car, supercars make a personal statement about who you are, what's important to you, and how much money you have. They don't scream "friend to the environment." Well, Moran says that is changing: "[Electrification] is an advancement of the species. Today's supercar enthusiast wants their chocolate cake and they want it with no calories." And they are willing to pay for it.

While there is a concern about the environment among those who drive these cars, there is another reason automakers are experimenting with electricity: The supercar must go green because high-power politicos who are championing the reduction of carbon-dioxide emissions worldwide are backing up their posturing with stringent regulations.

For instance, European regulators are set to enforce a standard that requires corporate fleets to cut CO2 emissions to 130 grams per kilometer by 2015. The recently announced Ferrari 458 Italia is the cleanest supercar, with emissions of 307 grams per kilometer. That's not even close. Supercar makers obviously have a long way to go. These regulations are going to push them to go green, whether they want to or not.

While electrification isn't the only solution, it seems to be the most popular.