Hybrid technology does not have to be boring -- that's the message Toyota aims to deliver after teaming up with an Italian auto designer.

The Toyota Volta hybrid-powered coupe combines innovative Japanese technology with Italian flair. Toyota gave Italdesign-Giugiaro its latest hybrid engine, which is destined for the Lexus RX400.

Italdesign created a 4300mm long coupe and named it after Alessandro Volta, the Italian scientist who invented the electric battery.

The Volta has a total output of STET/408hp from a combination of an internal combustion engine and two electric motors mounted on the front and rear axles. The car can reach a top speed of 250kph and accelerates from 0 to 100kph in 4.06 seconds.

"The hybrid engine can provide great power and great performance, so I tried to pen a body that would express this dynamism," said Fabrizio Giugiaro, head of Italdesign's styling and model division, who was responsible for the Volta's look.

The Volta is no gas-guzzler. It can travel 700km on just 7.5 liters of gasoline.

There are no transmission shafts or exhaust tubes that need a central tunnel in the car since the 3.3-liter V-6 engine is mounted near the rear axle.

This allowed Italdesign to design a car with a flat floor that has room for three passengers in a coupe that is slightly narrower than 2 meters.

Italdesign, in addition to the styling, added a carbon-fiber chassis and racing-style front and rear suspensions.

Toyota supplied the entire hybrid propulsion system.

Brembo provided its ceramic composite-material brakes.

http://autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?p..._code=04700872

I'm a little confused about the powertrain because I believe the Lexus RX400h has only one electric motor and is rated at a total output of 270 hp. I think what they actually did was create a new combination of off-the-shelf parts that are used to make the RX400h drivetrain.

 

Awesome. I absolutely love it. I thought to myself, "Very Italian" when I saw the picture, and then I read the first sentence.

Hope it sees production.

 

can someone convert all the numbers from metric?

 

1 mile = 1.6 km
1 gallon = 3.8 liters

 

700km on just 7.5 liters of gasoline = 93.33~ km/liter
93.33 km/liter * 1 mi/1.6 km = 58.125 mi/liter
58.125 mi/liter * 3.8 liter/gal = 220.875 mi/gal

can that be right? someone please correct me if my math is wrong, i've been up for about 40 hours

 

negatory... theres no way... 220mpg....

edit: yer math iis right.. but wtf???

 

My God...

No one stands a chance. This car could win every single race...It would never have to stop for fuel...

 

Wow... big improvement all the way around. Does anyone know how deep Toyota's future relationship with ItalDesign will be?

The deeper the better IMHO. h:

 

I think they had ItalDesign do the Gen. 1 GS for them, right? Or was that Guigaro? Or are they the same thing?

 

Guigaro, and it's not the same thing.