Gas 2.0

Today at the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon, Toyota, in conjunction with its Gazoo Racing development team, launched the GRMN Sports Hybrid concept car (that last link is to a Japanese page that is translated with Google translate… some of the translation is a really good laugh).

Reportedly, the car is based on the outgoing MR2 platform and packs a serious punch by combining a 3.3 liter V6 to drive the rear wheels and an electric motor to power the front wheels using the company’s THSII hybrid system. The 4WD sports car develops 392 horsepower and apparently can go from 0-60 in under 4.5 seconds. Not only that, Autocar UK is reporting that the car has the ability to drive in electric vehicle mode in the city.

Autocar UK also claims that Toyota “insiders” say a car based on this platform could go on sale sometime in 2011 as an answer to Honda’s recently announced CR-Z. Apparently Toyota execs are miffed that Honda stole the limelight with the world’s first mass market sports hybrid—although based on reader reaction to the CR-Z, using the phrase “sports car” to describe the CR-Z is a stretch. So far reaction to the CR-Z has been incredibly subdued due to it coming up short on everything from fuel economy to performance.

If Toyota could pull off a mass market sports hybrid that actually had killer performance coupled with even reasonable fuel economy—and perhaps an EV mode—it would clearly be the hands down winner versus Honda. Personally I always loved the MR2 platform and imagining an eco sports car based on it has me salivating.

Check out the gallery below, and here’s a link to a promotional video from Gazoo Racing/Toyota.

Source: Autocar UK

Image Credits: Toyota/Gazoo Racing

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