I sure hope that horizontal bar the bottom is some sort of advanced, underside, spoiler that reduces drag. Also, I notice the fuel tank is on the North American side of the car, the driver's side.

Everything else I'd commented before under an industry news posting.

Bob Wilson

 

That's almost certainly a Hydrogen prototype, it's the usual "entire top half is the cabin" design of a fuel-cell hydrogen vehicle. Electric has a similar shot at such a design. As for the car we're actually going to be able to buy in 2008, the above images have nothing to do with it. It would help if those images were on a separate webpage and linked to instead of posted directly here since they are wider than almost anyone's screen, making this thread very hard to read.

 

Nope....not the Hydrogen prototype.

From the article.......


Toyota's Next Prius: Hybrid X Concept Unveiled

Most automakers start to think a little outside the box when it comes to concepts, not Toyota. The Hybrid X debuted this morning at the Geneva Motor Show and is meant to be a look at the future of Toyota hybrid vehicles. Anyone who’s seen a Prius in the past few years won’t be a bit surprised by the electric blue concept car’s open cabin with lots of glass. We’re a bit surprised Toyota didn’t announce any details about its efficiency, instead this is purely a “design” concept. The Hybrid X uses the same Hybrid Synergy Drive that powers the current Prius, but rumor has it the next generation Prius will get considerably better mileage than the current gas sipper’s 60/51 mpg city/hwy.

 

Right... "purely a design concept," "future of hybrid concept." You'll see on their roadmaps that a hydrogen based hybrid is the future for the Hybrid Synergy Drive. It's a hydrogen hybrid.

What we'll be able to buy in 2008 will have a very different look because it needs to fit bulkier things - in fact according to specs we've seen so far the gas engine has to be even larger than the one in today's Prius, not smaller leading to a minimalist design as above.

 

Nope . Wrong again.

 

I just sent an email to Toyota, advising them that I am not too happy with the driver's seat in the Prius, and that it needs to be redesigned, so that adjustments can be made.

I don't have the best back in the world, but the seat should at least have the adjustments my Civic seats have.

Any way I can swap a Civic seat into my Prius?

Harry

 

Cool Xavier. Let's put $100 on it. When the 2008 Prius comes out and it looks nothing like that, with a bigger front section to contain the parts a non-Hydrogen vehicle needs to work, you owe me $100. If it looks like that with the entire top part being the cabin, I owe you $100. Deal? I could use the $100.

 

Just some quick definitions:

"concept" - one step above PowerPoint engineering. Usually they have an inert power plant.

"prototype" - small set of functioning vehicles, hand built, to test at risk engineering and manufacturing innovations.

Experience has shown "concept" vehicles are often 'eye candy' and "prototypes" are where reality testing first occurs.

Bob Wilson

 

Let's combine all these into one nice thread to discuss the upcoming model.