27 Votes

Rumor: Toyota Prius Coupe

inspirion7 submitted on 7/24/2009 Official Bell & Ross Timestamp: 5:51:24 PM

25 user comments | Category: New Cars | Source: | SOURCE: www.autoblog.com

Toyota's new president admits the automaker needs an excitement-infusion, and to that end – and in order to match the upcoming Honda CR-Z tit-for-tat – Toyota is rumored to be working on a two-door version of the Prius.

The latest reports out of Japan indicate that a shortened, 2+2 Prius-based hybrid sports coupe is under development, packing an uprated version of the 1.8-liter 2ZR-FXE four-cylinder putting out around 134 hp – 36 hp more than in its sedan counterpart. Naturally, Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive system will carry over and the additional power boost will have an adverse impact on fuel mileage – albeit a minor one.

If the Prius coupe does come to fruition, expect it to be around 100 mm shorter than the sedan, carry over the standard Prius' interior and debut sometime in mid-2012. Conveniently, there's no word on a name and whether or not the coupe will be sold in the States, but we wouldn't be surprised to find out that this would be a JDM-only affair.

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"Show me the money" - Cuba Gooding Jr. The bigger the Government, the smaller the man.
— inspirion7 (View Profile)

User Comments

A nice thought, but if it does happen, it will stay in Japan.
— adamsaf723 (View Profile)

Posted on 7/25/2009 3:17:38 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1

No matter how you look at it, a Prius will never be sporty or cool.
— Agent63 (View Profile)

Posted on 7/25/2009 6:08:38 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5

wrong.

for 2010 the prius has a Touring model with sports suspension. and even the standard model has been firmed up to handle better. (Hypermilers and their "death curve" driving techniques may have been a factor.)

a real 2-dr coupe (as opposed to the 4-dr "coupes" some brands are flogging), with the trademark hatchback shrunk down around it will be the ultimate in cool! with efficiency as a bonus!

the original sports cars of the '50s and '60s did not have to compromise fuel efficiency for sportiness. a sporty Pruis Coupe may well rewrite the whole sports car formula again! not unlike how the Mazda Miata did.
— XYZZ (View Profile)

Posted on 7/25/2009 7:08:41 AM | | Votes: -5

not to mention, a while back, a special Celica hybrid won a race at Fuji Speedway, beating out ALL other cars by a substantial margin. this included a number of bmws, and porsches!

if toyota could bring down the cost of the supercapacitors it used and offer it in this car, it WOULD upstage the whole current sports car world!
— XYZZ (View Profile)

Posted on 7/25/2009 7:15:55 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3

No it would not sir. A Prius coupe taking on Porsche's and the Italian's? are you kidding me? Is Toyota dreaming again like they thought the Lexus LS was truly a Maybach 57 competitor? Now Toyota's economy cars think they're Porsche's? The only exception in the economy class that compares numbers wise is the GT-R.
— 997TT (View Profile)

Posted on 7/26/2009 4:42:18 AM | | Votes: 1

— 997TT:

> Now Toyota's economy cars think they're Porsche's?

You have a bit outdated idea of what Porsche is these days.

The most popular car Porsche currently sales is a rebadged VW Touareg diesel SUV, in the USA classified as a TRUCK.

So this Porsche sits in exactly the same group of vehicles as the old Dodge pickup with a cummins engine. And it is a fact, beyond any dispute.

Another car with significant sales Porsche is planning to launch will be a small rebadged VW BlueSport Roadster, with the once Porsche trademark boxer engine kicked off and replaced by an inline four form the commons.

> The only exception in the economy class
> that compares numbers wise is the GT-R.

1. Funny how you're trying to depreciate the superior machine. GT-R is not the economy class, it's the Pork that is "out of thin air overpriced not worth the buck" class.

2. The GT-R compares everything-wise. It eats Lambo Gallardos. Even German motoring propaganda is forced to admit this:
http://www.autobild.de/artikel/novidem-gt-rs-gegen-bf-performance-gt-600_933886.html
— downtoearth (View Profile)

Posted on 7/26/2009 3:46:55 PM | | Votes: 3

the hybrid Celica racer DID whup beemers and porsches at Fuji Speedway. historical FACT.

this prius coupe likely will not have the same hot rod tricks incorporated. but it COULD in the near future, if toyota/LEXUS decided to go down that road.
— XYZZ (View Profile)

Posted on 7/28/2009 6:18:56 AM | | Votes: 1

"Is Toyota dreaming again like they thought the Lexus LS was truly a Maybach 57 competitor?"

aside from the LS being around far longer than the maybach 57, mercedes has PULLED THE PLUG on maybach. the LS not only lives on, it outscored every other car in CR's comprehensive ROAD TESTS.
— XYZZ (View Profile)

Posted on 7/28/2009 6:23:23 AM | | Votes: 1

It looks like the Solara Coupe
— ChevyFan100 (View Profile)

Posted on 7/25/2009 9:16:04 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1

Naaaa... more like the resurrected Celica GT
— clsboy (View Profile)

Posted on 7/25/2009 4:55:04 PM | | Votes: 5

This isn't dorky looking enough to make the statement tree-huggers want to make. Anything that looks normal or even hints that it drives well misses the point.
— grysko (View Profile)

Posted on 7/25/2009 9:22:49 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3

Very interesting, with the new Honda CR-Z(I heard they'll even offer manual transmission like the 2001 Honda Insight), and now this coupe, maybe you can have fun in a hybrid after all.
— sector (View Profile)

Posted on 7/25/2009 10:46:06 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2

that rendering looks nice, lets just hope they stick to it if theyre gonna do this
— linequality (View Profile)

Posted on 7/25/2009 10:50:51 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1

Rumor: Toyota Prius Coupe

Just more ugly garbage on the roads.
— EL34 (View Profile)

Posted on 7/25/2009 12:00:40 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -6

Fact: EL34 hates

Just more garbage from him everyday.
— _43LE (View Profile)

Posted on 7/25/2009 4:22:53 PM | | Votes: 6

Secretary special.
— theoptimisticpessimist (View Profile)

Posted on 7/25/2009 12:19:10 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3

yeah, so "smart" of YOU, to consider buying a mercedes with a 3-cylinder MITSUBISHI engine! lol!

a perfect example of the mentality of the automatic japan haters...
— XYZZ (View Profile)

Posted on 7/28/2009 6:29:15 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2

That makes sense......

A less practical way of screaming to the world that you are a big vag
— SteedPub (View Profile)

Posted on 7/25/2009 2:31:27 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -5

As older generations die off, the change in aesthetics in cars will be more accepted, nough said.
— RNeekChic (View Profile)

Posted on 7/26/2009 2:14:11 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4

it amuses me that so many "enthusiasts" (presumably lovers of german iron) love to criticize the styling of the Prius and its profile in particular. SO FUNNY because that profile is a Kamm design, originally penned by a german! it is no accident that the new Honda Insight uses the same profile. it IS the most aero efficient design.

likely all the criticisms are just more SOUR GRAPES over the japanese once again outdoing the germans! some german car makers DID try Kamm designs in production cars, but THOSE were all fugly! (auto designer Robt Cumberford (?) did a history and design analysis recently.)

— XYZZ (View Profile)

Posted on 7/28/2009 6:15:57 AM | | Votes: 2

Prius would be a great little second car as a pure diesel. I can't imagine anyone wanting to lug around the extra weight of electric motors and batteries for propulsion, not to mention put up with the expense of eventual replacement of a battery pak that is less than state of the art.

BTW, RNeekChic, aesthetics are not the first priority -- I want luxury and comfort above sleek style. The ideal car is a perfect composite of luxury, comfort, reliability, art and function; and one should not have to pay for the coming grand bentley to get all that.
— EnnNorak (View Profile)

Posted on 7/26/2009 8:10:19 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0

in case you weren't aware of it, diesels ALSO carry extra weight due to the need for more robust engine blocks, and more heavy duty starters and batteries that very high compression ratios require.

the weight of batteries and electric motors PALE in comparison to the added effeciency they make possible. even if diesel efficiencies improve at the same rate as hybrids (which they cannot), they will still WASTE thousands of calories every time the brakes are applied.

no other type of vehicle besides hybrids can recover the energy constantly THROWN AWAY while braking.
— XYZZ (View Profile)

Posted on 8/11/2009 2:55:42 AM | | Votes: 1

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Rumor: Toyota Prius Coupe

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