When Chiba Toyopet in Tokyo “garage found” this 1967 Toyota 2000GT, it was a mess. No problem, because the value of one of the rare Toyota sports cars is such that it’s well worth restoring. One of the 351 original cars ever made was sold at Pebble Beach last year for $647,000. So, off this find went to be restored to Concours d’Elegance–level greatness, right? Well, yes, it was restored, and to auto show snuff, too. But rather than returning the 2000GT to its original ’60s-supercar status, it was given a solar-powered electric drivetrain and dubbed the 2000GT Solar Electric Vehicle (SEV).
The work was done by the Toyota Automotive Lovers Association, which fitted the the famous sports car with some components out of a Lexus LS600h hybrid. Solar panels have been mounted on the hood and the rear window, with power being stored in a 40-kWh lithium-ion battery. Output from the system is estimated at 181 horsepower, with a top speed somewhere in the mid-80-mph range. (A regular, gasoline-powered 2000GT has a top speed of 124 mph.)
Unfortunately, the 2000GT SEV lacks the practicality of a proper EV. The car’s solar panels require two weeks to fully charge its battery, and 240-volt charging necessitates that the car remain plugged in for roughly 12 hours.
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Now, while the car sits in its electric state, Chiba Toyopet did, in fact, restore all the internal-combustion components alongside the rest of the rehab. So this 2000GT has all the necessary bits ready to re-convert it to original spec, and rumor has it that the car eventually will revert to its gasoline-drinking roots.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/caranddriver/blog/~3/KsE-p11MGEw/
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