Rumored Toyota Hybrid Sportscar is Prius-based

Reports claim Toyota may build an environmentally-friendly rear-wheel-drive Toyota MR2 coupe utilizing the Toyota Prius Hybrid Synergy Drive. A Prius-based MR2? Yeah, that'd be the third horseman of the Carpocalypse.

The car under speculation would be influenced by the FT-HS concept car Toyota trotted out a few years ago, which was then powered by a hybridized 3.5 liter V6.

The gasoline powerplant is not mentioned, but the car would get a heavily massaged version of the Hybrid Synergy Drive with gear selection courtesy of steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. An unnamed Toyota executive noted the targeted price point is somewhere around $24,000 with a 0-60 MPH time around 7 seconds. So a historically quirky, lightweight mid-engined, manual transmission sports car gets green by going heavy with hybrid bits, an automagic transmission and God-only-knows what powertrain layout.

Source: Gizmodo.com