shopping for a Prius is this a grappling hook?

That looks like the location of a removable eyebolt to secure the car for the boat ride from Japan. The 2010 has two plastic plugs on front to cover the holes, I think Gen2 has just one.

One of my eyebolts was left in the plastic carrier atop the spare tire, for use in towing. But it looks nothing like that 'grappling hook'.

 

It's Batmans Prius.

Jk. What that is is the Tow Eye through the Tow Plug. If you look/zoom closely, the piece of metal in question makes a full circle, not a J hook. The part that looks like a hook to you, is actually the cap to the hole, resting 90 degrees. The shadow and angle of picture has created the illusion that it's a 2 pronged grappling hook. The whole hook was left in there (I think it comes with the car next to the spare tire) and screws into the hole exactly as you see. So, sorry, you're not looking at a superhero's hybrid after all.

 

Hi knix,

That is the eybolt, for extraction from a ditch. I would double check the history on that car, as apparently, it was not restowed after the car was pulled out of a ditch! Most likely it was in an accident, where it went off-road.

 

Or the plastic cover was missing, so the Stealer put the hook in so there wouldn't just be an open hole, which he'd have to buy the part for.....

 

The plug is right in front of you in the picture. It's under the hook.

 

That's not the electrode for the pedestrian warning TASER?

 

The Prius is such a dork-mobile that one cannot get dates if you own one. The hook on the front of that car is evidence of how the owner pics up on chicks. You grapple them and make them tow you to their house. If the hook was in the rear then you would have to tow and that would decrease your gas mileage. Smart owner.

 

Run, do not walk, back to the dealer and buy that car.

Clearly it is one of the beta-test vehicles for the PHEV not to be
available to the public until 2012.

Parasitic
High
Efficiency
Vehicle

That little hook-thingy is in the retracted position. When stopped at a
traffic light, stop sign, etc, it is deployed on a extending arm and
screws itself into the soft plastic bumper cover of the car in front. The
arm retracts and the PHEV is attached with a stronger-than-steel kevlar
cable. The system uses the place-keeping cruise control to maintain
distance/tension on the cable.

Deployment of the system is recommended only on larger, heavier,
high horse power American made vehicles. Not only won't the
additional mass slow the vehicle in any meaningful way, the driver is
most likely half-as... leep (Fooled ya' didn't I?) at the wheel and
won't have the slightest idea what's going on.

With this advanced technology you can get like 5 bazillion MPG.

If you don't want that car, call me, cause I don't want to wait 'til 2012.
You might also notify Coach 'cause I know he too can hardly wait for
his PHEV. I mean like he wants one bad and he's just counting the days.

 

lol, I have often though of giant solenoid driven emags that would convert my car into a "PHEV".

 

You have good eye's MacMaster05. H