Lexus looking towards performance hybrids
Filed under: Sports/GTs, Green, Lexus, Toyota
Lexus is the latest to join the “we’re looking at performance hybrids” chat room. Now that everyone’s talking about it, and rolling out concepts, we’re only waiting on someone to do something about it — as in, put one up for mass market sale.
Lexus US General Manager Jim Farley said the brand is looking gas-electric cars aimed at “enthusiast groups” outside of Lexus core buyers. Toyota already controls 78% of the hybrid market, and ironically, after Toyota recently blasted GM’s Volt, the article asserts that Lexus is waiting for the customer reception to that vehicle before deciding which way it will go. We suppose they will also want to see how their LS600h does, as well. Farley did say, though, that a “super-efficient” version of Toyota’s current hybrid system is more likely.
Three years ago Toyota showed off the concept pictured above, the Volta. It wouldn’t look bad branded as a Lexus, and we could only hope they’d create a hybrid system with the power and frugality to match its looks. Though a hybrid LF-A wouldn’t be so bad either.
[Source: Bloomberg]