Photo: Phil Berger / Berger Design
We interrupt this program to make an announcement regarding Toyota's presence on their home turf, the Tokyo Motor Show, where the brand will reportedly unveil a model called the Midget.
By model, we mean an odd combo between a Caterham 7 on the outside and McLaren F1's seating arrangement on the inside. Now don't get us wrong, but these two names hang pretty heavy in the car world.
But according to Motoring (who cites Japanese magazine Best Car), with the "Midget" - that's how the car is known within Toyota - the brand wants to keep costs to a minimun.
According to the same source, this means that if the rumors are true, the open-wheel sportscar will only make use of a hybrid powertrain based on a 1.5-liter petrol engine, the same Toyota installed on their Aqua (the Prius c in the US) green car.
The mill should be good for around 140 horsepower, but there's no official info on the matter at this point. Also, the Midget is expected to tip the scales at around 700 kilos (1543 lbs)
In other Toyota launches-related news, we were anticipating the FR concept to take a bow in Tokyo, but it seems the world's second largest carmaker is keeping its variety game strong.
The funny thing is, the FR prototype is also rumored to feature a hybrid setup based on the same 1.5-liter mill, but good for 130 horsepower and 145 Nm (107 lb-ft) of torque.
Moreover, the production model spawned by the FR - if there will be one - should be slotted under the GT86 sportscar in Toyota's range, and wear a starting sticker of around $20,000, although it's too soon to talk about these aspects at this point.
One more question though: will Tommi Makinen be involved in the development of this car too, since the former rally driver was recently appointed Team Principal for Toyota Gazoo Racing’s World Rally Championship campaign?
It's hard to say, but we'll patiently wait for the Tokyo Motor Show to kick-off in October and we'll keep you up to date as more info surfaces.
But according to Motoring (who cites Japanese magazine Best Car), with the "Midget" - that's how the car is known within Toyota - the brand wants to keep costs to a minimun.
According to the same source, this means that if the rumors are true, the open-wheel sportscar will only make use of a hybrid powertrain based on a 1.5-liter petrol engine, the same Toyota installed on their Aqua (the Prius c in the US) green car.
The mill should be good for around 140 horsepower, but there's no official info on the matter at this point. Also, the Midget is expected to tip the scales at around 700 kilos (1543 lbs)
In other Toyota launches-related news, we were anticipating the FR concept to take a bow in Tokyo, but it seems the world's second largest carmaker is keeping its variety game strong.
The funny thing is, the FR prototype is also rumored to feature a hybrid setup based on the same 1.5-liter mill, but good for 130 horsepower and 145 Nm (107 lb-ft) of torque.
Moreover, the production model spawned by the FR - if there will be one - should be slotted under the GT86 sportscar in Toyota's range, and wear a starting sticker of around $20,000, although it's too soon to talk about these aspects at this point.
One more question though: will Tommi Makinen be involved in the development of this car too, since the former rally driver was recently appointed Team Principal for Toyota Gazoo Racing’s World Rally Championship campaign?
It's hard to say, but we'll patiently wait for the Tokyo Motor Show to kick-off in October and we'll keep you up to date as more info surfaces.
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