4th generation coming 2015!

oh look...another ugly looking wedge shaped car, yuk. Why can't they be original and figure another shape? Tesla came up with an aerodynamic shape and Volkswagen's showed another with XL1. After decades of the Prius shape, I don't think I can put up with more of that from other manufacturers.

The only glimmer of hope is Hyundai style their cars better than Toyota (and loads options better). Who knows they might even make it look good.

 

The simple explanation is that it is the most aerodynamically efficient shape for a compact 4-seater.

It is considerably more difficult to engineer an aerodynamically-slick small car while maintaining general utility than to do so with a big car, because of the need to maintain a minimum height for reasonable ingress/egress... which then plays havoc with the needed ratio of height vs. length that will allow the airstream to smoothly exit the rear of the car (generally a function of how the roofline slopes and tapers toward the tail) without swirling into turbulence to create substantial negative-pressure areas behind the car (and hence drag... and lift, since it is over the rear glass). The truncated airfoil Kammback shape is already a clever cheat.

A large car like the Tesla has a relatively long tail to work with, not to mention more space everywhere else as it has considerably less packaging constraints than an ICE vehicle. It doesn't have any mufflers to fit in the tail, for example.

And the XL1 has no rear seats that require headroom, so it can taper back after the front occupants into a hatchback-like shape.

So it's not for lack of originality, but rather a convergent evolution to a similar solution to address a similar market (compact, aerodynamically efficient, high passenger/cargo utility, while cramming all the needed components of a hybrid under the body.)

Given the crazy (stupid) ideas you see in auto shows, I'm pretty sure the stylists don't lack for imagination.

LOL. As long as that's in public, I'd take that as a personal challenge to photograph the hell out of that thing. Corporate usurping-of/lying-about photographic rights indeed. What were they thinking? Blur out the driver and you can sell that to any media outlet without a model release. Which is what they did.

 

I'm sure there are other options manufactures have not explored. Here's some crazy ideas:

Why not make them rear engined so the rear slopes longer and the cab more forward thereby making it more tear dropped which is better aerodynamically. A stretched Porsche looking hybrid would be a nice change lol. Even wilder why slope the rear downwards causing the rear to lift at speed? Why not slightly slope upward from the undercarriage to the rear so at speed the rear suction will be downwards for greater traction thereby eliminating the need for a roof spoiler lol. As weird as those idea sound, my point is there are other things they haven't really tried yet.

 

Exactly Tony.

 

You meant the Lexus in "Minority Report"

The Minority Report Lexus—What Came True:

 

Well, Renault copied the shape of the "boxfish" in a prototype. Kind of ugly/kinky, but with the lowest Cd of any car made. I don't think it has made it into production yet though. Hard to know for sure, as almost no French car is sold in Canada. At least I haven't seen any.

 

You must mean Mercedes.

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/24272/title/Mercedes-and-the-boxfish/

 

Those mags have professional auto journalists and they know a lot more inside info than armchair auto experts on any car forum.
You're somebody when car mfrs loan you cars to drive around and evaluate. Know any forum posters who get that?

Man, this is great! FINALLY some other mfr. has a made something close to a 'Prius copy' (I never considered Insight II much of one, too small).
Now Toyota should have some real competition to Prius liftback, put on more pressure to build a better car.

 

i think john 1701 and a few others here got pip test mules.

 

One of the reasons we're waiting to buy this car: Toyota Prius Taxi Logs More Than 600,000 Miles; Batteries Last, Apparently (Video)

 

was that gen II or III?

 

Gen II

 

oy, i hope grumpy doesn't see this.

 

Prius fastback spotted - Automotive News

 

What made you think I thought *you* would expect that to stop people from taking photos?

I would be laughing at the people that put up the sign (i.e. Hyundai). Laughing *with* you, not *at* you.

And what's up with all the editing of posts?

(Granted, no content was lost... but still...)