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Toyota's "21st century sports car" concept has gossips talking about a new Supra. Is that big sports coupe about to be reborn as a mean-and-green hybrid? Right now, the odds are better than even.
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Gossips love concept vehicles, especially those that seem to belong in showrooms already. Take the Toyota FT-HS. Unveiled at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show as a "21st-century sports car," it reminded some of Toyota's well-liked Supra. And why not? It's another high-style sporty coupe with rear-wheel drive, a six-cylinder engine, and seating for four. Obviously, a new Supra was on the way, and with gas/electric power to boot. After all, FT-HS stands for "Future Toyota-Hybrid Sport."
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Carmakers usually shrug off new-model rumors, but Toyota did the just opposite with the FT-HS. As Road & Track reported, a company spokesperson described the concept as "a car we all know Toyota should have. It would slide right into the slot where the Supra was, as a mid-price sports/GT car--something we need in our product line." Which implies a rival to the Nissan 350Z, which the concept closely matches in size, and not the Chevrolet Corvette, which the last Supra targeted. Trouble is, a strong yen 10 years ago priced the Supra out of its market. A new hybrid model could suffer the same fate, given today's weak dollar/yen exchange and hybrid technology that remains expensive.
Still, Toyota is a big company with huge cash reserves. And it remains committed to making gas/electric power just another option throughout its lineup. Moreover, Toyota likes to showcase its technology in distinctively styled niche vehicles like the compact Prius hybrid, that darling of Hollywood greenies. Add it all up and the case for FT-HS morphing into a new Supra looks pretty convincing. In fact, some oddsmakers say it's a sure thing.
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