Having suffered the ignominy of being labelled a Porsche Boxster clone and associated with a certain Heinz Winckler, the Toyota MR2 slipped into obscurity a couple of years ago…Only to return with a bang at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon.
Toyota has unveiled a performance-orientated hybrid that manages to shoehorn a remarkable 298 kW of clean, green power into the MR2.
Developed in conjunction with Toyota Japan’s performance tuning partner, Gazoo Racing, and posessed of what has to be the meanest-looking body kit an MR2 could ever wear, the MR2 Sports Hybrid Concept features a 3,3-litre V6 petrol engine that sends power to the front wheels via a CVT ‘box, while an electric motor channels drive to the front wheels.
In addition to all-wheel drive levels of grip, this powertrain is said to propel the MR2 Sports Hybrid from 0-100 km/h in under 4,5 seconds.
The hybrid system and its batteries add around 272 kg to the overall weight of the MR2 donor car upon which the concept is based.
And while this probably does not herald the return of the “Mister 2”, it does go a long way to proving that hybrids are capable of a great deal more besides wafting cleanly and quietly around our cities.
You can see a video of the Toyota MR2 Hybrid Sports Concept, both in the lab and on the racetrack. Just click on the video icon to the top, right of the images.
