By Matt Bird \/ Monday, 16 October 2023 \/ Loading comments<\/p>\n
Japanese manufacturers can always be relied on for the weird, wacky and wonderful when it comes to their home motor show. And while the 2023 Tokyo expo that kicks off next week is officially now a Mobility Show – which never fills anybody with confidence – Toyota has made sure there\u2019s something to look forward to in the shape of the FT-Se concept car. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s Toyota\u2019s vision of an electric two-door sports car, and although the full thing hasn\u2019t been revealed just yet there\u2019s plenty to be encouraged by. Not least Toyota\u2019s vision for a car like this, suggesting the FT-Se is a high-performance EV ‘proposed as one of the options for sports cars in the carbon-neutral era\u2019 – confirming (again) that the manufacturer has not placed all its eggs in one basket. Perhaps even more importantly, the FT-Se is said to incorporate \u2018the expertise gained in Toyota Gazoo Racing\u2019s efforts to make ever better cars through motorsports\u2019. And they\u2019ve done quite well with that already, so here\u2019s hoping. <\/p>\n
Looks cool as well, which is always a good sign. Toyota speaks of a \u2018sleek, cutting edge silhouette\u2019 that reduces drag (which in turn will help range), and it\u2019s hard not to gawp at the drama of details like the diffuser, haunches and light signature. The full thing should be spectacular. Don\u2019t forget, either, that Toyota has some history in productionising FT concepts; there were two FT-86 previews before the GT production car, and nobody will ever forget the incredible FT-1 that offered a glimpse of what the GR Supra would be. So while the name might currently conjure up the stock exchange, the fact that Toyota has called this thing the FT-Se does bode well for its future production prospects. <\/p>\n
Finally, it\u2019s worth drawing attention to the second picture that\u2019s been released so far and shows a bit of the FT\u2019s interior. A \u2018more immersive driving experience\u2019 is promised; that might be due to the yoke-style wheel being flanked by screens like a race car, but there\u2019s also the assurance of a car that \u2018continues to grow with the driver through software updates\u2019, which is intriguing. An EV that learns your driving style and evolves over time could be really cool.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also a more traditional nod to both the \u201886 sports cars in \u2018newly designed kneepads\u2019 to \u2018protect the body from G-forces during driving\u2019. They sound silly, but have often worked well in practice, another of the small details that show Toyota really cares about the driving experience. On current form, who better to trust with electrifying the sports car experience?<\/p>\n
The press day for Tokyo is next Wednesday, October 25th, where we can expect the full reveal of the FT-Se alongside the FT-3e SUV with which it shares some vital bits. Interesting. Stay tuned for more next week.<\/p>\n