MotorTrend - Prius Coupe coming

[Danny]

It looks like MT's "artists" have gotten bored and want to start a rumor based on a picture of their own making. Nonetheless, MotorTrend is reporting that a Prius coupe will be coming to combat the upcoming Honda CR-Z hybrid coupe.

Toyota is developing a range of Priuses that will include a small pickup based on the 2008 A-BAT concept and a sporty, 2+2 coupe to compete with Honda's upcoming CRZ hybrid coupe. The Prius coupe will have a lower roofline than that of the all-new 2010 Prius hatchback sedan launching this year and will share its powertrain.
The 2010 Prius sedan's battery technology is carried over from the 2004-2009 model, but its 1.5-liter engine may get a small bump in displacement or power output with no penalty in fuel economy. Since the 2+2 coupe will be significantly lighter than the hatchback sedan, having the same powertrain means it will be quicker and faster. Think 1984 Honda CRX with a standard Civic four-cylinder.

Toyota Prius Coupe Preview - Toyota Developing Range of Prius Vehicles - Motor Trend

[Flying White Dutchman]

ofcourse its fake! but O man do i want this 2 doors prius!
i like it!

[justlurkin]

Basically that would be like having a hybrid version of the Scion tC. I LIKE!

But the clown nose I DON'T LIKE. :P

[Tech_Guy]

Now that I think about it, this car really makes sense. The Prius Coupe would appeal to another market sector, yet would make use of a large number of existing Toyota hybrid components. I hope Toyota does this..

Keith

[patsparks]

Wouldn't it be lovely!!
What a great way to get the Prius into the hands of people who want a sportier car but don't want to spend a fortune commuting.
You are dead right Tech Guy, a whole new market for Prius and the more there are the cheaper the technology gets per unit!!

[usbseawolf2000]

Bring back Celica as a hybrid.

[spwolf]

blah, saying 2010 will use "carry over" battery technology is like to say that new 1.8 ZR engine line up carry over from 1900's, because they both use petrol fuel .

Problem with "news" like that is that while they might get something right, they always get something wrong, so at the end it is really hard to trust them

[JSH]

2 doors does not a sporting car make. Hopefully Toyota will spend a little bit of time tuning the suspension to make a car that handles decently. It would be nice if they they could just bring it up to to average handling. Toyota wasn't very successful with the Solara mainly because the Solara handles as poorly as the Prius. Not what people want in a sporty car.

The "clown nose" is from the official Toyota pictures of the 3rd generation Prius. Like it our not, that is the new look for the Prius front end.

I'm not personally interested in a coupe but there might be a market out there if Toyota doesn't screw it up.

[Tideland Prius]

Toyota does have a cheap RWD sports car coming so I'm not sure if they'll be making a Prius coupe... unless it's under the Prius brand. I don't know if Toyota will make two coupes esp. since they've been killing all (except the tC... the Solara has been extended til 2011) their sports coupe.

[joe1347]

Smart move by Toyota to make a Prius a little more sporty looking by offering a coupe. I've talked to quite a few prospective buyers that were primarily turned off by the general appearance of the Prius. The word Dorkmobile comes to mind.