Toyota wants teenage boys to daydream about hybrids, apparently.
The FT-HS hybrid sports concept car will be premiered on January 7 at the North American International Auto Show, and we can expect 50:50 weight distribution and a 400+ horsepower monster with a drivetrain very similar to the Lexus GS 450h: a 3.5 liter V6 coupled to Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) system (which could mean SULEV emissions, but no word on fuel economy yet). This could be the next Supra.
What is interesting is not the direct impact of this car on the environment, though we can expect it to be better than the "traditional" V8 gasoline-powered sports cars it will compete against (a lesser evil). No, the interesting thing is the "halo" effect it could have, making hybrids cool and desirable to a new public. Even if they never end up buying that particular model, they'll notice the technology and associate it with something they want instead of something they don't.
The FT-HS hybrid sports concept car will be premiered on January 7 at the North American International Auto Show, and we can expect 50:50 weight distribution and a 400+ horsepower monster with a drivetrain very similar to the Lexus GS 450h: a 3.5 liter V6 coupled to Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) system (which could mean SULEV emissions, but no word on fuel economy yet). This could be the next Supra.
What is interesting is not the direct impact of this car on the environment, though we can expect it to be better than the "traditional" V8 gasoline-powered sports cars it will compete against (a lesser evil). No, the interesting thing is the "halo" effect it could have, making hybrids cool and desirable to a new public. Even if they never end up buying that particular model, they'll notice the technology and associate it with something they want instead of something they don't.
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