TOYOTA HYBIRD CONCEPT CAR

Toyota wants teenage boys to daydream about hybrids, apparently.

The FT-HS hybrid sports concept car will be premiered on January 7 at the North American International Auto Show, and we can expect 50:50 weight distribution and a 400+ horsepower monster with a drivetrain very similar to the Lexus GS 450h: a 3.5 liter V6 coupled to Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) system (which could mean SULEV emissions, but no word on fuel economy yet). This could be the next Supra.

What is interesting is not the direct impact of this car on the environment, though we can expect it to be better than the "traditional" V8 gasoline-powered sports cars it will compete against (a lesser evil). No, the interesting thing is the "halo" effect it could have, making hybrids cool and desirable to a new public. Even if they never end up buying that particular model, they'll notice the technology and associate it with something they want instead of something they don't.

Of course, we would be a lot happier if Toyota made a less-powerful but more fuel efficient version of it, maybe even a plug-in hybrid, diesel-hybrid or all-electric version.

And while they're at it, why not make the regular hybrid version come by default with the $30 sensor that would allow it to be flex fuel (run on an 85/15 mix of ethanol/gasoline).

And while the concept makes extensive use of pricy materials like carbon fiber and aluminum, the FT-HS is expected to portend a toned-down production variant. There’s some debate about what segment said vehicle would play in, as well as name and cost, but Toyota says it is fantasizing about projecting a price tag of around $35,000 and a 0-60 mile-per-hour time of around 4 seconds.