Talk of Tacoma powertrain upgrade from head guy at Toyota US...

They have taken some risk, but the sports car market is fickle. For an appliance you buy a Toyota, for a sports car you buy a BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, etc...think a typical sports car buyer wants to seen in something with status or it is about nostalgia, why the Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers do well...don't really get that in a Toyota (even though they are good cars)

They did have success with the Prius as it was a risk of being one of the first hybrids on the market, and that thing is as boring as watching paint dry. Maybe that is their formula...taking a risk packaged in boring cars.

 

Fuel cells are getting renewed interest, it seem they have a lot more room for improvement than batteries

Even the military are interested

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/chevrolet-colorado-zh2-prototype-first-ride-review

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2017/10/10/ausa-2017-stealthy-chevy-trucks-for-soldiers.html

 

I get a depressing vibe from this thread.

 

Here is some cheery news that might counteract that depressing vibe you are feeling ......jk

Tesla's Elon Musk Reveals the Next Big Automotive Trend: Gasoline

https://www.google.com/amp/amp.time...eveals-the-next-big-automotive-trend-gasoline

 

That can be a bit subjective. That said....you have to remember that the vast majority of people only see a vehicle as an appliance

 

It is, but I have never seen the word "exciting" ever used to reference a Prius. Only thing I find appealing about the Prius is the mpg, it is rather dull otherwise.
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That is is true. Guess I am same the way...I am odd duck, am a gear head, but never act upon it because I am cheap SOB. Many on here sure do like bedazzling their trucks...while, I just fixing it to keep it running. I'll only mod if the stock part keeps failing.

Years ago, I went through the muscle car phase...ended up getting my license suspended for street racing, after that I started buying boring slooooow Toyota trucks. Now I only look at pictures of exciting vehicles...and say to myself "ooooh, I NEED that!!!"..."err, no...no, I don't...would get into trouble with that..." ..."hey check out that Prius, they get 50mpg+ doncha know...."

Toyota is trying to make the Tacoma exciting... just look at this latest re-incarnation...big bold bloated angular body to make it appear more masculine. Honestly I wish they would stop, and take it back a bit...I just want an insanely reliable understated little truck, that gets good gas mileage. Please go back to boring Toyota. If I could get the Chevy Colorado body (which is very understated style-wise) on the Tacoma Chassis, with a non-DEF diesel. Would be happy as a clam.

Which I think that is basically an older HiLux.

GM has a new one too.

http://www.trucktrend.com/news/1710-gm-reveals-surus-autonomous-fuel-cell-medium-duty-truck-concept/

Don't be sad spice...

Electric motors will flat out stomp a petrol powered vehicle. Just need to figure out the whole battery thing, pretty hard to beat the energy stored in gasoline tho'.

 

As mentioned a few pages back....my wife loves her's.....though her purchase had nothing to do with MPG or tree-huggin'.

 

100% of torque available at 0 rpm. When you switch the Prius from eco to power mode the ecu tells the traction battery to send more juice to the drive motor. Couple of hundred ft lbs of torque right off the line surprises the hell out of a lot of people at stop lights.

3rd and 4th gen Prius are actually pretty quick in power mode for the first few hundred yards. It would have no trouble walking away from my 4.0 Taco in short stop light to stop light bursts

 

If I was going to do a Hybrid car would do a Civic or a Camry and rip off the "Hybrid" badge. I want very under the radar. While the 3rd gen Tacoma is styled to appear "look at me I am rugged ,outdoorsy, & macho" (lumbersexual beard and flannel shirt for good measure), the Prius is the same but 180º different...it is a "look at me, I am saving the planet" (you're not really, but at least it appears you are)

Like my vehicles how I like my t-shirts...blank and unassuming.

And in all reality, would probably go for the gasser Civic, one of the few you can still get a manual trans, and 40 mpg hwy is good enough for me.

 

No such thing lol 3rd gens eat gas and i am good with that..

 

To be fair, the MK4 Supra died out along with every other single Japanese sports car at the time (300ZX, 3000GT, RX7) because Japan's economy was crap in the 90's after the bust. IIRC the supra was almost 50k at it's most expensive point for the TT, which would be close to 80k today.

 

The other reason was that the consumer buying habits have been changing over the years.

 

I don't get that vibe at all from 3rd gen prius. Most "pure" hybrid cars all look the same because their shape lends to a better drag coefficient. I see them more as "I have all this tech" look, especially with the 4th gen, but the 4th gen is downright ugly.

 

What is that ?

 

Honda copied the shape for sure with the Insight (think thatis what it is called)...while I do like subdued looking cars...when you see a Prius, you know it is a Prius and the stigma that follows it.. Kinda like the stigma of a Subaru Outback...angry middle aged lesbian tend to be the owners NTTIAWWT. I actually like the Subies but my wife won't let me get one because of the stigma...because well...she is middle-aged and has short hair...ha ha!

I like the hybrids that you can't tell they are hybrids...but that is just me.

Lumbersexual...has the look of a lumberjack, but probably never made premix for a saw...the axe is nice prop tho'! Note the brand new never been used handle.

 

Learn something new everyday

I thought it was people who had sex with lumbers or something

 

To be fair, the Honda Insight was released before the Prius and was the first hybrid on the market. But yes, the 2nd gen insight apes the prius design but there really isn't much you can do if you want that slippery cd rating.

Most of the "lumbersexual" looking guys I've seen don't drive cars though, generally live in the city and take public transport

 

Oh that is right, forgot...it was that little 2 seater (with barely a back seat), and really low fender opening for the rear wheels.

The Prius (and the Insight) are fine cars. I just can't get over the stigma that comes with them...lame I know. Even get a little tired of the Tacoma, even though I own one.

I keep on looking at mid roof Transits and Sprinters, since my buddy who has a Sprinter is giving me van envy...kicked off work early today and went for a moto ride, windy as hell at the trail head...standing outside beside my truck on my floor mat changing into my moto clown suit...mang a Sprinter sure would be nice right now, would be able to change clothes inside, without the wind blowing where the sun don't shine.

LMAO!

 

our household has a taco and a prius. only thing better would be if both of them could self drive us to cabo overnight. That'd be fuckin killer.

*Begin fantasy

Imagine this: you hop in your prius with your wife and kiddos and pets. In tow is your modded out taco. you leave after dinner, brushing your teeth and wiggling into pj's... sleep... alas, you wake up refreshed, at your destination: Paradise (where ever that may be for you. For me, it's a barreling right hand point break in Mexico that requires a fun ass desert blast off run and a rugged 4 by descent down to an empty palm lined sand point except for some bikini clad sunbathers on spring break and a ice cooler stocked with cold beers and fresh coconuts.) After said barrels, y'all load up and head to vacationland, where waterslides, horseback rides and endless cocktails await poolside R and R. Hop back in the prius all buzzed up, pass out under the orange/pink glow of a baja cali sunset and effortlessly piggy back the taco back to reality where the hurricane of work/school/chores awaits in the morning.

*End fantasy.