Prius Sports Coupe revs up fun

THE next member of the Toyota Prius family is just the start of a growing hybrid family including a sports model.

The Prius Alpha (Prius V in the US and Prius Plus in Europe) has just landed in Japan's showrooms and almost certainly will come as a wagon, minivan, convertible and even an SUV.

But the derivative that stands out most is the American-inspired Prius Sports Coupe project. That's right a sporty Prius.

Our source tells us that without the strong push for this car from the US, this project wouldn't have made it past first base. Here you see one artist's impression of how the Sports Coupe will look on debut in late 2014, the same year as the next generation Prius will surface.

Our insider explains that with development of the Lexus LFA supercar scaling down and research funds and personnel being moved to future hybrid sports projects, we can expect to see a proliferation of fun-to-drive hybrids over the next three to five years.

It seems Toyota chief executive Akio Toyoda, a revhead and would-be racer, is having some influence on the company's car development program. One of the highlights of this coupe will be the option of a manual transmission that Toyota is developing at the Higashi-Fuji proving ground just near Mt Fuji. That stick shift will be bolted to the company's next-generation THS system, which uses a plug-in hybrid, a system that will be completely new and not inherited from the Prius.

Our spies tell us that the sports coupe will get a rear-wheel-drive platform from the Lexus GS and IS, and will incorporate the plug-in hybrid unit with lightweight lithium ion batteries that generate significantly more power than the current Prius, but maintain class-leading mileage and CO2 emissions.

This is just the beginning. In 2015 the company will create a unique "Prius brand'' from which we can expect all future hybrid models to come, as well as a rumoured FCHV hydrogen-powered sedan. The flagship for the new brand will be the Sports Coupe.