In 1994, Toyota established a special museum (officially known as the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology) to display prototypes and development vehicles, and the center is now a popular destination for fans of the brand. Larry Chen, one of today's most prolific automotive video bloggers, has been touring the museum recently, and his latest video features some real treasures, including his all-electric 2000GT sports car. Some are introduced.
The footage shows a white 2000GT that isn't exactly mint on the outside, but that's not the most important thing. Hidden beneath the sleek body is a fully electric powertrain, and although the video doesn't provide any further information about it, this is the 2000GT solar electric car developed by a team of 50 Toyota engineers. We're pretty sure it's a concept. How can we know that? The green stripes on the interior are the focal point.
In its original form, the car had a special livery that displayed the logos of all the companies that helped build it, including Panasonic, Denso, and Gentex. The cabin is equipped with mostly black leather seats, but there are certain components exclusive to this electric build. The rearview mirror is a video camera, and his seven dials on the dashboard display information about battery charge and performance.
The biggest changes are obviously under the skin. The 2.0-liter inline-six engine has been replaced by a single electric motor that sends 161 horsepower to the rear wheels. Energy was provided by a 35-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The electric 2000GT, known as the Crazy Car Project, was equipped with a special sound system that alerted pedestrians to an approaching car and gave the driver a sense of speed. However, it is unclear which of these features are still functional.
Other vehicles you can see in the video at the top of this page include the Toyota Soarer, one of Toyota's experimental safety vehicles, the Lexus LFA, and other gems.
