Toyota working on hybrid system for FR-S

The world may be waiting for a turbocharged version of the Scion FR-S (which is sold as the GT86 in other global markets) but Toyota is quietly developing a hybrid drivetrain to boost the performance of the sporty coupe.

Speaking in an interview with Autocar, Koei Saga, senior manager for drivetrain engineering, revealed that the “development work is quite advanced” on a hybrid drive system for the FR-S. Saga indicated that the system under development borrows elements from Toyota production and racing hybrid systems.

“We are quite prepared because we do have a hybrid system that we can use for that kind of vehicle, utilizing the production passenger car hybrid system, and we also have the pure race-oriented hybrid system [in the TS030 LMP1 racer and Prius GT300 from Japan's Super GT series].”

Showing that it’s not opposed to using hybrid systems for performance applications, Toyota displayed a 414 horsepower Hybrid R concept at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show. The Hybrid R show car used a six-speed sequential gearbox, which would make more sense for the performance-oriented FR-S hybrid than a CVT.

Toyota hasn’t approved the FR-S hybrid just yet, but Saga says that he expects the “green light will come.”

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