motor

stradale · 02-26-2004, 03:43 PM

Story by evo's news section
We owe a great deal to Alessandro Volta, the man who created the electric battery in 1800. Now his contribution to motoring has been recognised - and this is an official picture of it.

The Italdesign-Giugiaro Toyota Alessandro Volta is a supercar, but with a difference. It's a hybrid-electric vehicle using the same powertrain as the Lexus RX400h, which arrives at the end of the year. As well as a battery mounted on each axle, it has a 3.3-litre V6 petrol engine. Together, they develop 402bhp.

When Fabrizio Giugiaro approached Toyota at October's Tokyo Motor Show, it agreed he could do something with the transmission technology. "I saw the challenge immediately," Giugiaro said. "I wanted to make a hybrid that looked really good." He's not done too badly! The Volta chassis and body are all carbon fibre, while the engine is behind the seats to give better weight distribution and masses of cabin space. The car - which debuts at the Geneva Motor Show next week - does 0-60mph in four seconds, goes on to 155mph and can be driven from the left, right or centre. That's because the pedals, dials and steering slide across.

Throttle and braking are by-wire, the transmission is an electronic CVT and all controls are steering wheel-mounted. We could see the Volta - or something like it - by 2007, priced about Â£45,000.

Fleischmann · 02-26-2004, 03:59 PM

Looks interesting and sounds promising...where'd ya get da info from ??

ibetipsy · 02-26-2004, 04:11 PM

interesting i think its ugly!!!! but thats one polish americans view

sentra_dude · 02-26-2004, 05:06 PM

Very interesting...especially the 402hp and 0-60 in 4sec...don't know about the looks though.

RC45 · 02-26-2004, 05:14 PM

The production version will of course be watered down and look more like the Echo...

BADMIHAI · 02-26-2004, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by RC45

The production version will of course be watered down and look more like the Echo...

You FEAR the Echo!

I think they won't make it as fast as they say. Also, the body looks pretty damn nice...except for the back.

TT · 02-26-2004, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by Fleischmann

Looks interesting and sounds promising...where'd ya get da info from ??

You can read that in the first line of his topic

.. the source is evo

stradale · 02-26-2004, 06:21 PM

The back reminds me of the Italdesign Alfa Romeo Scighera, which I like very much. The waistline looks a bit too much like the Ferrari 360 Modena, which is also enhanced by the wheels, which are the same as the 360 CS has. I think the front looks a lot like the VW W12. That's no surprise really, because that was also designed by Giugiaro. Overall it's not a gorgeous car, but for a Toyota it would be spectacular.

altezza · 02-26-2004, 09:05 PM

hopefully they will build this car

bmwfreak · 02-26-2004, 09:14 PM

I dont knwo about the rest of you guys, but I detect more than a strong resemblance to the Gallardo and tha Nardo.

A 'supercar with a hybrid petrol/electric engine and CVT'? I dont know.... Who wants the sensation of a slipping clutch in a supercar? And yes, RC45 is probably right, it will probably end up looking like the Echo, or even a Camry.

Well, at least Toyota are trying.

Silvia_Drift · 02-26-2004, 09:24 PM

This things performance and its enviornmentally friendly power plant sound interesting but I also think the car looks extremely ugly. To me, it looks like a wagon with two doors and no head room since the back just comes to an end instead of sloping down like a regular car.

Bigdaddytwon · 02-27-2004, 12:36 AM

And toyota does it again!!!

Does toyota make it a habbit of ripping off design elements from other cars, or is it something they picked up in gradeschool and never kicked.

Check out the wheels, look a LOT like the wheels on the 360 Modena.. They did the same thing with the LS430.. almost an exact copy of the old S-cass in the rear c-pillar and wheels. In fact it was even more blatent in the prototype they showed on the autoshow circuit but they toned it down in production.

Now if you check out scions new TC.. gee where have i seen those hideous lights before.. oh yeah the new BMW 6 series!..

Sorry i know its off topic.. but i've been pissed at toyota for like 3 years now.. and they always give me more ammo

The359 · 02-27-2004, 12:48 AM

Um, those wheels aren't unique to the 360 Modena. You can buy those for almost anything.

That and Toyota didn't design the car. :roll:

altezza · 02-27-2004, 01:23 AM

And toyota does it again!!!

exactly, it's nothing to do with Toyota :roll:
it's designed by Giugiaro of Italdesign

HeilSvenska · 02-27-2004, 11:30 AM

Dammit what kind of unholy alliance is this??? it's like the the french working with koreans!!!! i trusted you Italdesign...