Back in 1994, Toyota established a special museum – officially known as the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology – that displays prototypes and development vehicles, and this center is now a popular destination for fans of the brand. Larry Chen, currently one of the most prolific automotive vloggers, has recently toured the museum, and his latest video shows some real treasures, including a fully electric 2000GT sports car.
The footage shows a white 2000GT that isn’t exactly mint on the outside but that’s not the most important thing about it. Under the sleek body, it hides a fully electric powertrain, and while the video doesn’t provide more information about it, we are pretty confident this is the 2000GT Solar Electric Vehicle concept developed by a team of 50 Toyota engineers. How do we know that? The green stripes in the interior are the giveaway here.
In its original form, the car had a special livery showing the logos of all the companies that helped build it, including Panasonic, Denso, and Gentex. The cabin is mostly stock with black leather seats but there are certain components that are exclusive to this electric build – the rearview mirror is a video camera and the seven dials across the dash now display info on the battery charge and performance.
The biggest change, obviously, is under the skin. The 2.0-liter inline-six engine was replaced by a single electric motor sending 161 horsepower to the rear wheels. The energy was provided by a 35-kilowatt-hour battery pack. Known as the Crazy Car Project, the electric 2000GT had a special sound system that lets pedestrians know a car was approaching and also created a sense of speed for the driver. We don’t know what part of these features is still operational today, though.
Other vehicles that can be seen in the video at the top of this page include one of Toyota’s experimental safety vehicles, the Toyota Soarer, a Lexus LFA, and other gems.
