Lotus puts Toyota engines to better use than Toyota does. Hopefully Toyoda's grandkid can address this and make a sports car worth buying...

While this is impressive, I'm still wondering what kind of mileage this is getting burning that fuel. Being a mixture of methane and a "other gasses", I can see the efficiency of the engine taking a hit. Is it more efficient than gasoline, or does it burn a gallon per minute of this mixture?

I'm glad to see BMW committing more to turbocharging. Toyota and Nissan have shown us that turbo I6 engines can make massive power while still staying dependable and driveable. Hopefully, the new BMW turbo engines are just as bulletproof and upgrade-friendly as the old Japanese engines.

@NC2010

The premise those "experts" (I'm not entirely sure who you're referring to specifically) were proposing was an *affordable* electric vehicle. This is not it. Without getting too interested in the project, I myself thought the Volt would be maybe 2 or 3 thousand dollars more than a Camry or Accord. I didn't expect to be this much. The projected MSRP for this is ridiculously out of line with current model pricing, or even future model pricing. Even with the Government incentives, this car still costs more than $6k extra than a Camry Hybrid (the most expensive Camry).

Cars such as the Nissan EV-02, Th!nk City, Citroën C1 ev'ie, or even Subaru G4e, are cars that are affordable and all electric. The Volt isn't either of those, it's just an expensive display of inefficiency.

Maybe Mercury should become Ford's environmental brand... Then it really could sell hybrids instead of just being one!

Ha... yeah... doesn't that seems a bit ironic, at least semantically?

How does a guy like LaSorda *still* get a job (that isn't washing dishes or mopping floors)? I'd think after bankrupting a multi-billion dollar company, he'd be the last guy you'd ask for financial advice... apparantly Roger Penske thinks otherwise. Well, I hope he doesn't pay LaSorda in advance.

Can't we just have lighter cars? The IS250 manual would be a really nice sports car if it were a coupe and weighed about 2800lbs. At least give us something that stands out, Lexus...

I mean, even the IS-F is ranked below most of it's competitors(M3 and RS4 come to mind)in terms of sportiness, as well as the IS350(335i, G37, possibly C350).

Nissan could revive the last Silvia, the S15 chassis and body, and it would still look just as sharp and sporty as the day it was originally made. It looks like this:

http://www.driftingstreet.com/images/nissan-silvia-s15.jpg

But here's a pic of the prototype from 2008:
http://static.blogo.it/autoblog/new_nissan_silvia.jpg

What about us with clunkers that get more than 18mpg? My Corolla gets around 30mpg, where's my bailout damnit?

I've been conserving oil and preventing smog by driving my little car, doing everything the EPA and Gov told me to.... and the idiots who didn't listen end up getting money? Such BS...

Anyway, for all those wondering about financing this, this project is a drop in the bucket compared to everything else. It's akin to buying an air freshener when buying a new car, the difference is literally exponential. Take a look at our annual budget at GPOAccess.gov, it's ridiculous.

Thanks for the pic Daniel, it looks like a Matrix with an IS front end.

I can't imagine anyone buying this car over the BMW or Audi. Or even a Prius. What does this car have that the Prius lacks? It may be a *bit* more cushy on the inside, but the Prius is already quite comfortable and has very good interior. It's more than likely it will get less MPG than the Prius. But the major problem is that it's still FWD. This is a less efficient, more expensive Prius.

Make it RWD or AWD and then things might get interesting. Or hell, make it a 2 door hatch or coupe. Just don't make a hybrid Matrix with Lexus badges and headlights.