Toyota has offered a few iconic cars in the past that have evoked emotion and passion from those who have owned these vehicles. One such vehicle is the now departed Toyota MR2. This unique, mid engine offering from the company has followers from across the globe. There is perhaps no other Toyota product that has garnered as much appeal as the MR2 amongst enthusiasts. There was talk about a reincarnation of the MR2 awhile back as a hybrid model. Read our report here, ” Toyota Considers Sporty Hybrid With Prius Powertrain to Compete With Honda CRZ.” Well those plans may have changed slightly, but the company did unveil a concept MR2 at the Tokyo Auto Salon.
The MR2 concept utilizes a 3.3 liter, mid mounted V6 engine paired up with an electric motor and a THSII hybrid system. It’s features an all wheel drive platform and is said to output more than 400 hp routing the power through a CVT transmission. The company claims a 0-60mph time around 4.5 seconds. Though the vehicle sounds quite stellar on paper, there is a major hurdle in the way. Toyota has no plans to produce the concept MR2 hybrid.
It’s unknown why the company would go through this amount of work for a vehicle that will not see production, though others have noted that many of the concept’s attributes could find their way into future Toyota products.
MR2 purists would certainly be upset with the awd setup, though you can bet many would overlook that in lieu of the vehicles amazing power, blazing speed, and strong fuel economy.
For now the MR2 hybrid is alive only in concept form. Wishful thinking, coercion, and some carefully planned letters to the company could convince them that the MR2 supporters are waiting in line for this hybrid offering.
Source: AutoBlogGreen
View original artcle at: “https://www.greencarreports.com//news/1041790_mr2-hybrid-concept-revealed-production-unlikely”
