So then why does he say "So it seems the timing is perfect to fold in a sports coupe with a Toyota badge in the U.S." I wonder. Supra would be interesting, but I hold no high hope given how as the article states this project has been cancelled a million times. I'm not sure about all this hybrid talk for it. That will add cost and or increase weight and or reduce performance probably. I just can't imagine many people buying a frivolous toy in this thing's price range really care about hybrid unless it truly adds to it as a driving experience.
That other car is a scion. I'm sure they are playing with prototypes. The article had the thing priced higher than a porsche boxter. That seems an unlikely car to wear a toyota badge. Actually the porsche 918 is a perfect example that electric motors add to performance. The instant torque of the electric motors make a compelling case for a sports car. But if you are going there it likely needs a different hybrid set up than the RX. Mg1 and planetary gear could go in the rear, with a small mg2 built for low speed torque, and a large mg3 powering the front axis. Likely this would also need a fairly big lithium battery or a supercap to give bursts of power for 5 seconds or so. Porsche went with the big battery and added a plug. A efficient turbo 4 seems like a better fit for such a car than an atkinson V6 as it takes less space and weight and would likely be more efficient in highway cruising.
