YSSMAN
If anything, it would seem that you have a somewhat skewed version of what sports cars are all about.
...If anything, sports cars embody everything that a car should be, but simply cannot because of rational thinking. They are supposed to be fun to drive, they are supposed to invoke feelings from the soul, they are supposed to scare the neighbors, destroy the Earth, burn rubber across acres of pavement, get poor MPG, etc. That is all the fun in having a car like that...
Sounds like you have sports car and muscle car confused. Last I checked, my MR2 was a sports car. Yet it gets decent MPG depending on how I drive it. In the 30's when I actually keep it below the VVT point. It uses a silky smooth revving 20V 4 banger. And its a blast drive, pure and simply. Its got a computer, and a "fancy" engine that actually uses modern technology, but its hardly soul less.
YSSMAN
If we all ran around in Toyota's little "Utopiamobiles" like the Prius and the FT-HS, the world would be a very boring place indeed. They aren't anything pretty to look at, not at all invigorating to drive, and certainly a crime against humanity when it comes to any die-hard automotive enthusiast.
I don't think everyone should drive a Prius or what not. However, the American companies still think getting over 30 MPG in the compact car is a big deal. I see these big stickers on the sides of Chevy dealers with something like 33MPG on the side of a Cobalt with exclamation points and all... and I just laugh. I drive my Corolla less than friendly, and get over 35 with it. And I'm fairly certain my Corolla is gonna last longer as well.
YSSMAN
New technology is overrated, plain and simple. This is why people still build Cobras and Sevens, this is why the Corvette and Viper remain so successful. There isn't any reason to do something completely different if there isn't any reason to do it to begin with... When it works, it works. This is why we see Ultima GTRs and Mosler MT900s powered by small-block Chevys, why so many race cars use Ford 9" rear-ends, why the Turbo 400 is still the standard in automatics, why the AJV8 design continues on, etc.
I respect you, but this is just a tad too much. You almost sound like the Camaro guys I deal with that claim my MR2 will never break 14s on the 1/4 mile (Which it already does) and so on. Its these techonolgy that will let me build an engine under 100 Cubic inches that will put me in the 12s range on the 1/4, if not the 11s, with a couple of grand invested in the engine. Its these technology that lets me out corner and out break the guy in the Camaro.
Hell, while we are at, lets use CRT monitors again, 486's, and VHS again, along with other out dated things. They did the job good enough I'd say. So why not use them still instead of these new fangled DVDs, or whats this here Blu-Ray stuff?
Realize that someone has to try new technology before anyone else will follow suit. Toyota and Honda started with Hybrid cars, now the Americans are trying to get in on it (or they had plans at least). Just whoever goes first gets fingers pointed at for trying something different.
YSSMAN
What it comes down to is that we aren't going to sacrifice our love for automobiles in their truest form because Toyota says so. We want Earth-destroying fun whenever possible, and we will continue to do so until the "bad stuff" runs out. Considering that the Saudis still say we have 150+ years of fuel left, I take comfort in knowing that my gasoline-powered, 8 MPG, 20ft burnout laying Chevrolet Camaro can still run for years and years, and I can still give the finger to the douche bag next to me in the Prius while leaving him in a cloud of smoke...
...Its the American thing to do...
And thats why the American car companies sales continue to slide. Its also why we have the most traffic fatalities per whatever you want to compare to each year. Its also why the American cars have the nasty rep of being unreliable, and why they depreciate faster in value.
Doing the "American" thing is just getting everyone else to stare in shock and then shake their heads. You have this attitude of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" but more along the lines of don't mess with it at all. Like Philly pointed out, sports cars are about performance. Regardless of how you get it. Typically the best performance will come from the newest technology.
But then again, we have completely different thoughts on what a sports car is. The Tesla is a brilliant idea, although nothing new to me, as I have been racing with a guy that builds a faster electric car, and has been doing so for years now. The Elise is probably the purest sports car I can think of. High revving DOHC motor, lightweight, and using some advanced design methods. It lakes fancy computers (unless you get the package for the driving aids).
You (YSSMAN) seem to think you need at least a V8, 5 liters of displacement, and pushrods to be a sports car. Its a rather stark difference from my view.
But I respect the Corvette as a performance machine, and even grudgingly admit the Viper has some merits. Just the Viper needs a different engine IMO. However, you seem to think that anything that doesn't follow Detriot logic is not worth the effort.
Toyota use to make fun cars, and not that long ago (the MR2 Spyder). They can do it again, they are just exploring something new. If it flops, you'll be happy because Toyota screws up again in your mind. If it works out, you can still get your V8 push rod from GM.
Probably the rear or the sharp headlights which does it. It also reminds me of the Saab Aero-X. I believe this should be launched anyway, stash the Yaris or Auris for this, they are too boring and nobody really cares if they will come or not.
Plus I think the batteries will last for more than one quick sprint, and they don't have to be at full charge to get full power out of the electric motors depending on the setup and required power for each motor.
