70 MPG downsized-Prius by Toyota?

Found it... go here:

http://www.daihatsu.com/motorshow/

Then click on:

October, 2003 The 37th Tokyo Motor Show

Then the top right hand car.... yep.. kinda looks like the prius.. seats 4... and if i'm correct that company is owned by toyota.

 

I'm no where near deperate enough to give up my great ride and comfort and ammenities to ride in a rollerskate that handles and feels like a piece of crap...

If they make it smaller, it better be quality...
even then, unless your single and never take anyone with you, it would become a "special Use" vehicle instead of one I can use for all occasions, versatile enough to literally fit all my needs except four wheeling and trash hauling.

 

Sure they could, will they? Look at the Insight. How many do you see on the road? People don't want to buy a small car in America unless it is a sports car.

just my opinion,

 

If toyota can make a car that does This! Im sure that a 80mpg hybrid is cake.

 

I like this steering wheel. It would be perfect for our Prius with all the information displayed on it instead of the upfront LCD.
http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/future/finen.html

oh yeah and yes. They can make the Prius lighter to achieve this now.

 

zzz

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jayway @ Mar 15 2006, 08:33 AM) [snapback]225174[/snapback]</div>

I agree, if I'm going to be cramped and miserable in an enclosed rollerskate, it better be for more than gas mileage.... I better be in a frigin rocket!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(windstrings @ Mar 15 2006, 12:00 AM) [snapback]225093[/snapback]</div>

That isn't a rollerskate. THIS is a rollerskate. I saw these on the roads in Paris and London over the last coupla years. In Paris, I was riding in the front of a tour bus and kept seeing these little buggers dashing in and out of traffic--right in front of the bus wheels. If we'd'a whacked 'em, we wouldn't have felt a thing in the bus, but they just did not care! I got so freaked out, I had to move to a seat where I couldn't see out the front windshield.

And I didn't get an Insight, which IS smaller, cheaper, and gets better mileage, because, to me, it is ugly...

So, I'm shallow. I do believe there IS a market for a scaled-down version of the hybrid, but, as noted, it takes a VERY long time to get cars approved here (witness the rollerskate, um, SmartCar...but I plan to stick with my SmartKEY, thank you very much!) No, *I* wouldn't buy one--but I am fortunate to have reached a place in my life where I can indulge myself. I DO believe there IS a market for them though, at least I REALLY WANT TO believe there is one...See, we do just have to put lots more taxes on fuel, like they do in the rest of the world, and, believe me, those Hummers will be turned into planters faster than you can say Exxon Valdez!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rufaro @ Jun 17 2006, 02:50 AM) [snapback]272618[/snapback]</div>

:lol: , It looks like I could strap that on my foot... where's my other one?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(windstrings @ Jun 17 2006, 06:36 AM) [snapback]272644[/snapback]</div>

Under the tourbus in Paris...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(windstrings @ Jun 17 2006, 08:36 AM) [snapback]272644[/snapback]</div>

Last time I was in Orange County, I saw one of those things heading east in the HOV lane on the 91 just past the 55; I made my wife speed up so I could get a better look. That thing would be the cat’s nice person if you had to drive around old European cities like Rome.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kevmac @ Jun 17 2006, 07:10 AM) [snapback]272649[/snapback]</div>

I thought they still weren't street legal in CA--only "grey market" available so far, but Zap is working on it (but I had an electric bike from them a few years ago--boy did that thing suck big time!).

The first time I saw anything about them was in a travel mag a few years ago--someone was driving around all these ancient European cities and up and down alps and stuff. Of course, they could only travel with carry on luggage...

Then, in early December '05 was when I saw 'em all over France, especially in Paris, and some in London. This past spring they didn't seem to be quite as omnipresent in London...maybe they all got mushed? (Or maybe I didn't see 'em because I was too busy scurrying back down streets, trying to get out of the way of the reversing cars, trying to get out of the way of the double decker buses going down narrow freakin' streets, with 2-way traffic and parking on both sides of the road. Dammit.)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kevmac @ Jun 17 2006, 07:10 AM) [snapback]272649[/snapback]</div>

It certainly looks like if a truck hit one, it would spin about 451 times before it finally stopped! :lol:
Thats after if finally landed after being airborne for about 10 seconds!!!

 

I agree there is no technological limit for Toyota to build a hybrid small car. I am much less certain it can be done now or in the near future cheap enough to make it worthwhile for Toyota.

I'll be the first in line to be proven wrong.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(EricGo @ Jun 17 2006, 09:13 AM) [snapback]272693[/snapback]</div>

sure, you don't mind being in a small tiny car.... you're just a little frog! :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(windstrings @ Jun 17 2006, 09:21 AM) [snapback]272698[/snapback]</div>

And we all know it isn't easy being green!

 

My American 'experience' is starting to change me.
I was admiring a parked mini-cooper yesterday when a F350 went by, and the thought flashed by that the mini was too small to be safe on US roads.

Truly a pity.

From the amphibian who his entire life viewed the Honda Civic as a large 'family' car, and still bemoans the Prius size.

 

I say a little prayer every night at bedtime that Mini makes a hybrid convertible version of their kickass car. I will give my Prius to the church and my hard earned cash to Mini.

Or... YEAH, give me a $15K 70mpg sexy looking rollerskate to do my 90% local, short trip, hilly urban driving in. Most of the time i'm going under 40mph and getting under 40mpg. I already got too much car.

 

Yeah if Mini had licensed the Toyota HSD I would've bought that instead of a Prius most likely... .

However that ES3 would have definitely gotten my purchase before either - more aerodynamic and weighs a lot less. Check the weight on the Mini, it's well over a ton which I found kind of shocking - and that's BEFORE you add the HSD and batteries to a hybridized version! Ouch.

Dang Toyota for taunting us with the Volta and the ES3!

I was absolutely fine with the cabin size of the Mini and loved the performance of driving a Golf Cart on steroids, but the mileage was miserable compared to the Prius (I've driven both extensively, I'm not talking about EPA numbers). A Prius that came in at 1500lbs would rock - that's starting to get light enough that the weight of who's riding in it makes a difference.

 

I've wondered what an Insight-sized HSD could do in terms of fuel economy.

What hurt the Insight was mainly marketing. Being a two-seater with limited luggage space hurt, but the CRX sold well before it. That was in part because in today's market, a CRX would probably cost 3-4K less. The aluminum helped make the economy - and price higher on the Insight.

I would not dismiss introducing a subcompact-sized hybrid.