Toyota, BMW to jointly-develop hybrid supercar?

A new report finds Toyota and BMW are in the early stages of jointly-developing a pair of supercars powered by a fuel-sipping gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

Details are vague, but rumors indicate the yet-unnamed cars will be powered by an evolution of the 4.4-liter V8 engine found under the hood of the M5 and M6 linked to a Toyota-designed hybrid drivetrain consisting of a compact lithium-ion battery pack and an electric motor. 

All-wheel drive will most likely come standard, but whether the two power sources will work together and spin the wheels through a common transmission or each independently power an axle is not known. Â

Toyota and BMW will rely heavily on lightweight materials such as carbon fiber and aluminum in order to offset the weight added by the complex hybrid drivetrain.  

Although both cars will share their platform and basic drivetrain, they will wear completely different bodies and will not look similar when parked next to each other.  Toyota’s version will be billed as a heir to the Lexus LFA, while the BMW-badged model will slot above the i8 as a halo car.  Each car’s price tag will hover in the vicinity of $300,000.

If the rumor proves true, more details about the upcoming supercars will emerge in the coming months.