Toyota's next electric sports car will be a MANUAL?

Toyota is gunning for the EV market with plans to launch 30 electric cars by 2030, and that's including the next-generation electric sports cars.

EV sports car concepts for both Toyota and Lexus have been somewhat showcased in the recent past and judging by the looks, Lexus is headed towards the next-generation LFA while the Toyota EV sports car somewhat resembles the iconic MR2, Motor Authority reported.

Perhaps the best (and weirdest) thing of all is the fact that both electric sports cars from Lexus and Toyota will feature a manual transmission. Don't get too excited just yet as the manual gearbox is not directly linked to the powertrain.

Experts in the field are saying that it's more on simulating the feelings of shifting gears and through the modulations, the electric motor will adjust the torque delivery and generate 'appropriate' sounds within the cabin to deliver the manual-shifting sensation.

Toyota Chairman, Akio Toyoda, also confirmed that the brand's next-gen EV sports cars will also have a clutch pedal to complete the overall manual feeling. Will they be fast, too? Well, how about 0-100km/h in under three seconds? You be the judge.

Akio also mentioned that Toyota is working hard to ensure that those behind the wheels of these upcoming EV sports cars won't even be able to tell that they're actually driving an electric car. Sounds too good to be true? Coming from the Chairman himself, we're confident that Toyota can pull it off.