Once and Still a Techie Weblog

Say hello to the Future Toyota Hybrid Sports (FT-HS) concept car. Launched by Toyota a couple days ago, it promises ultra high performance and ultra low fuel use and emissions. This baby can make 100 km/h in 4 seconds from a stand still just as fast as any Porche GT3!

“Produced by Toyota’s research and design team in California, the FT-HS mates an electric motor to a 3.5-litre petrol engine. Toyota says its front engine, rear drive layout provides optimum performance, reaching speeds of 100 km/h in around four seconds.

“What we’re able to do is use a smaller capacity engine in conjunction with the hybrid transmission and electric motor … (and) give the same performance as a vehicle with a … larger engine,” Mr Soden said. “

Like I was saying about F1:

“Toyota corporate manager Greg Gardner said the FT-HS showed hybrid vehicles didn’t need to be boring and conservative.

“As well as environmental benefits, they could also be fun to drive,” Mr Gardner said.

He said there could be a day when a hybrid vehicle sporting a lightweight design was taking the track in a Formula One race.”

F1 racing with hybrids does look to be a ways off but something that looks a lot more feasible after this launch. Though the experience of Formula One cars and all the glorious 130 decibels their V8s produce zooming by would be sorely missed by many a racing enthusiast. These hybrids are terribly quiet you know…

Read up on the launch here…