Green Machines: Hybrid: Hope for Hybrids

Paul Meyers

04/01/2007

The acronym says it all: the FT-HS (Future Toyota-Hybrid Sports) concept vehicle demonstrates Toyota’s desire to create “a suitable sports car for the 21st century,” according to Kevin Hunter, vice president of Calty Design Research, Toyota’s Newport, Calif.-based design center. Having ended the production of previous performance-geared vehicles—the Celica and MR2 in 2005 and the Supra in 2002—due to noticeable lack of interest from sports car buyers, Toyota’s current sports car market is non-existent. That is about to change, as the FT-HS provides a concrete example of the company’s upcoming design and engineering strategy. 

“We want to design a vehicle that looks as good as it performs,” says Hunter. “Our aim is to create something energetic with a strong sense of purpose.”  Borrowing design cues from a few automotive giants—the Audi R8’s sweeping lines, the Koenigsegg CCX’s B-pillarless proportions, the Porsche Targa’s retractable roof, and the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano’s buttresses—the FT-HS is strikingly similar to some of the world’s most recognized sports cars. However, the FT-HS will offer one completely unique attribute in the world of sports cars: zero-to-60 performance in under 4 seconds from a hybrid. (Click images to enlarge)

The FT-HS achieves such a feat from its 3.5-liter V-6 engine that sends an estimated 400 hp to the rear wheels. The half-gas, half-electric engine may be borrowed from the Lexus GS450h, but will provide far better performance numbers when married to a rear-mounted lithium-ion battery pack. Another similarity to the Lexus GS450h will be an advanced continuously variable transmission for the hybrid powertrain. The inclusion of carbon-fiber body panels and wheels along with a retractable carbon-fiber Kevlar roof also minimizes the car’s curb weight.
 
When, and if, the FT-HS goes from concept to production, it will fill the same niche for Toyota that the Corvette fills for Chevrolet––a reasonably priced, high-performance automobile expected to carry performance numbers that can compete with European exotics.  “The actual car that we built does not have a hybrid system,” Hunter concedes. “We unveiled the FT-HS in order to evaluate a consumer response, but I think that we all can agree that Toyota needs a sports car in the lineup.”  

Toyota
www.toyota.com

SPECIFICATIONS:
Price: $40,000-$60,000 (est.)
Engine: 3.5-liter V-6 hybrid
Transmission: continuously variable, with paddle shifters
Power: 400 hp (est.)
Torque: 300 ft lbs (est.)
Curb Weight: 3,000 lbs (est.)
0-60 mph: 4 seconds (est.)
Top Speed: 155 mph (est.)
Range: 300 miles (est.)
Mileage: 25 mpg (est.)
Pro: Faster than most V-8 sports cars for a fraction of the price. 
Con: Still two to three years away from production.