Okamoto made the comments after speaking last month about Toyota’s midterm business plan and said the company must launch more “appealing products” that are “fun to drive.” Okamoto added that the strategy will involve the “development of a new sports model.”

The presentation was accompanied by a slide show depicting a Lexus sports car along with two other sporty concept cars. One car bears the Toyota logo on the hood. After the presentation, Okamoto said there were no concrete plans.

Or maybe not.

(via)

The Supra HV-R is a hybrid whose Super GT-spec 4,480cc V8 is augmented with regenerative braking, a pair of 10kW in-wheel motors up front and a 150kW motor in the rear. The engine’s output is rated at 480 horsepower and 376 lb-ft of torque, and the car’s weight will come in at a little over 2,300 pounds.

Some artwork specs for the HV-R. The final product may be slightly different, but probably not all that much. Looks good, doesn’t it?

(click on the thumbs below to enlarge)

The Supra is back! Believe it or not this silver machine is Toyota’s all-new performance flagship, a hybrid-powered rival to coupes such as Nissan’s new GT-R.

Replacing the firm’s famous sports car – which disappeared from Toyota’s line-up in 1996 – the new model will go on sale in 2008, and takes styling inspiration from luxury brand Lexus’ forthcoming LF-A.

But while that car will use a 500bhp 4.8-litre V10 when it arrives in 2009, Toyota’s new model gets a tweaked version of the Lexus GS450h’s 341bhp 3.5-litre V6 hybrid powertrain, giving it a unique combination of performance and economy.

Read the rest of the article here.

Meanwhile, check out the pictures of what they are saying is the new 2008 Toyota Supra that has been long-promised. I can dig it.