08 Mar 04
The first press day ended on a high of expectation as Giorgetto Giugiaro's ItalDesign company unveiled four shrouded shapes. Three were different stages of the same project: the Toyota Alessandro Volta, represented in full-size styling model, naked carbonfibre entrails and finished supercar. It featured petrol-electric hybrid power from a mid-mounted 3.3-litre V6 and two electric motors (one for each axle) producing a total of 408bhp. The V6 drives the rear wheels only.
Ital claims a 4.03sec 0-62mph time and a 155mph top speed, but the claimed 60mpg average fuel consumption is yet more impressive. Hybrid drivetrain apart, this is pure supercar with beautifully machined aluminium suspension arms, pushrod-operated springs (just one, high and central, at the front), carbonfibre steering arms and that carbonfibre monocoque. The tyre treads were very neat, too, consisting of Toyota logos. The Volta is the brainchild of Fabrizio Giugiaro, Giorgetto's son, but the father is still heavily involved in Ital's operations.
Low, red and sleek, the mid-engined Volta (named after the Italian who invented the battery) is not entirely a flight of fancy. It has three seats abreast, and drive-by-wire controls which let you position the steering wheel and pedals in front of any of them - technology which has yet to get past the legislators even though aircraft have used fly-by-wire for years. But a Toyota product-planning insider hinted that a smaller, simpler version could conceivably appear as a replacement for the Toyota MR2 in a few years' time, presumably to be called MR3. "By 2008, carmakers selling in Europe will have to have an average of 140g/km CO2 emissions across their range,' said our source, 'so we either cut out the thirsty cars or we sell lots and lots of small cars. This is a way to have a sports car and keep within the rules."
