According to The Wall Street Journal, Toyota executives are currently in talks to revive the automaker’s sports-car lineup. Mr. Tokuo Fukuichi, a Toyota official based in France said that the new Toyota sports car model “is going to be a global project, not one aimed at one region more than another”. Meanwhile, Shinzo Kobuki, Toyota’s managing OIC of development of hybrid systems said that the automaker is aiming to produce sporty cars to compete with German luxury automakers such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi. Toyota has been criticized for being the last major car maker without a trophy sports car.

Last year, Toyota unveiled a hybrid sports car concept, named the Volta (pictured above) designed together with the legendary Guigiaro of Italdesign. The concept was later renamed as the ‘Priapus’. Despite the rather awkward name, the Volta/Priapus featured a stunning design, a powerful V-6 engine with electric motor providing 408 horespower, 0-60 mph acceleration in 4 seconds, and 30 mpg fuel economy.