Originally Posted by MPLexus301

I am really having a hard time being excited about this car when IMO, what they really need is something bigger and RWD a la 350Z or RX8.

If it ends up the size of a Scion tC or Impreza...you can keep it.

Originally Posted by TRDFantasy

For image reasons and for more serious performance junkies, a bigger and more powerful RWD coupe would be preferred.

For most enthusiasts though, this is exactly what's needed. A small, relatively lightweight RWD coupe that will be priced competitively, and one that should be easy to tune and modify.

Originally Posted by MPLexus301

I think you're right, and also with the market returning to smaller cars it's probably a good move...I just wish we had something midsize with 270-300HP, two doors, and RWD.

Originally Posted by UDel

So is there confirmation from Toyota that the new hybrid supra replacement if they actually make one is going to use the same capacitors just like the Supra HV-R and not batteries like on all their other hybrids and that it will be suitable and affordable for a production car costing under 50K? Do you know exactly how much it costs to build that Supra HV-R and how long it actually lasts(most race motors only last for about 1 race before needing to be replaced or completely rebuilt)? I bet it costs Toyota several hundred thousand if not over a million for each Supra HV-R which means that technology is very new for a racing car and extremely expensive and unsuitable for a affordable production car. Why would Toyota not just use capacitors in the hybrid performance GS if they have that technology and it is superior to batteries like what they are currently using. Maybe because it is too expensive and not really suitable for a production car.

I never said that some racing technology does not eventually filter down to production cars but it usually takes a while for it to filter down and it is usaully very different from what they actually used in the racecar version. Technology in race cars does not need to be day to day reliable nor does it have to be affordable and can be very expensive and rare which it is. Most race car bodies are made of carbon fiber, racecars have expensive magnesium/titanium peices, gold plated heat protection, etc. While these materials filter down to many really rare exotic production cars they are usaully cars costing several hundred thousand dollars, there are some lesser priced cars that use small amounts of these expensive exotic materials but not many. Most race car engines produce well over 500hp from small extremely high reving engines and weigh less then half of what an economy car weighs. These engines last maybe one race and that is it and are completely unsuitable for a production car engine. Some of the technology that allows those cars to get that hp and performance may filter down to production cars but it will be nothing like what the actual racing car used and just a toned down affordable/reliable version of it. The Supra HV-R may have performed well at the race but the technology to get it to perform well like extremely expensive high tech capacitors and investment was most likely so expensive that it would be completely unsuitable for a production car, maybe a little bit of that technology could filter down to an affordable production car but not the same that caused the HS-R to be sucessful and the HS-R did not need to be affordable nor everyday driveable and only had to last one race which is how long most race motors last.

Unless Toyota has made some giant breakthrough that I am unaware of with hybrids then if it is like what they currently use in their production cars then it will be unsuitable for a high performance sports car. I highly doubt they will make a affordable/reliable hybrid sports car using the same expensive capacitor technology they used in the Supra HV-R for the production Supra replacement and they will most likely stick with what they have been using which is batteries or similiar technology with what they are using like the hybrid GS/LS. Just because a concept of the Supra replacement has a capacitor motor does not mean the production version is going to get it but there is a possibility they may do it. I will believe when I see it.