Perhaps not the most ideal tag line to promote Toyota’s newest performance concept, think of the FT-HS – or Future Toyota Hybrid Sports – as a ‘Prius on steroids’.
With rising fuel prices, the FT-HS prototype makes sense – a battery to keep the nutters happy, and a 3.5-litre V6 engine to keep a smile on your face.
The electric motor adds almost 50 percent more power to the petrol-only engine similar to the one found in the humble Aurion family car.
When combined, the FT-HS has a targeted output of over 300kW – just a little more than a Prius.
With its aerodynamic profile and liberal use of weight saving materials, Toyota expects a 0-100km/h dash in the four-second range.
If the hybrid-sports car doesn’t quite catch on, Toyota Australia’s corporate manager of product planning Peter Evans says alternatively it could be interpreted as a vision for the Toyota Supra of the future.
The FT-HS concept will be featured on Toyota’s stand at the Melbourne International Motor Show.
