Toyota MR2 Sports Hybrid Concept, 400-hp 3.3-Liter V6, AWD

Now THIS is what I'm talking about! I've waiting for somebody, anybody, to make some sort of a performance-oriented hybrid. Sure, you can guilt people into using hybrids, or you could make the cars f-u-n fun, and that way people will want to drive hybrids. And I don't know about you, but words like mid-engined, convertible, 400-hp 3.3-liter V6 and all wheel drive sure sound like fun to me.

The car you see here was rolled out at this year's Tokyo Auto Salon. It's based on the third generation MR-S (aka the MR2) and although the MR2 was killed here in the U.S. in 2005 and in Japan in 2007. Toyota partnered with an outfit called Gazoo (no, I don't have any idea either) to turn out this little number. Where there used to be a rather nice 1.8-liter four-cylinder sitting smack dab in the middle of the MR-S, now there is a 3.3-liter V6.

And up front, Toyota and Gazoo have inserted an electric motor mated to a THSII hybrid. So that makes the MR2 Sports Hybrid Concept all-wheel drive. And if you total up the grunt from both plants (does an electric motor count as a plant?) you get a bottom line of over 400 horsepower getting to the tarmac via a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

On the downside (there always has to be a downside, y'know?) is that old bag-a-boo weight. The Toyota MR2 Sports Hybrid Concept tips the scales at 2,800-pounds, which is considerable more than the original MR-S's 2,200-pounds.

That weight stated though, Toyota says the MR2 Sports Hybrid Concept can do 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, which sounds pretty fun and it's much better than the stock ZZW30. Sadly, sources say that " ... there's no chance of Toyota putting the MR2 Sports Hybrid Concept into production, this could point the way for things to come – for better or worse. "

Sounds better to me! Toyota should build this, or something like it. Get it to the showroom floor with a nice switch that lets me dial in the controller software and price it in the mid-20s and I am so there!

Source: AutoBlogGreen