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NA or boosted? price tag? i’m guessing just a bit less then the LFA
Designed to be in the $50-60k range. No engine has been announced. This was a non-working concept.
They should put a 2.5 litter 4 Cylinder turbo engine if they car weighs less then 2800lbs
3.0l H6 twin turbo (forester style motor). 
Could make a beast.
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Toyota pulled the first surprise of the Detroit Motor Show by unwrapping the FT-1. It’s a serious high-end sports car. Beautiful too.
Unfortunately it’s only a concept and they’re being a bit cagey about whether it will go into production. On the other hand they have made a virtual FT-1 too, and from tomorrow you can download and drive it on Gran Turismo 6.
It was designed at Toyota’s California Studio, Calty. Calty President Kevin Hunter says the FT in its name simply stands for ‘future Toyota’. It’s the same message as the company was giving out at November’s Tokyo Show: we don’t just do appliance-cars now. Hunter says the company used to be very conservative about moving on from a successful (if dull) formula. Now the top management in Japan want cars that excite the fizz. The FT-1 is the current state of that art.
“It’s a sexy halo sports car, period.” says Hunter.
At the same time as the physical concept was being designed, Calty sent the digitised shape to Polyphony. The game people went ahead and developed the virtual car’s performance.
“We put [Toyota global boss] Akio Toyoda in the virtual car around Fuji Speedway,” says Hunter. “He posted his best time.” Toyoda immediately told them to get the concept built and shown.
Hunter says the concept has a “powerful internal combustion engine” but won’t go into detail. But TG asked him if it’s a hybrid and he said no. It’s rear-drive. Much of the body design is about dealing with clean air in and dirty air out.
But it also pays reference, in the wraparound screen and side glass, to the epic Toyota 2000GT of the late-1960s. They also mention the Supra as an indication of this car’s position.
Inside, there’s a head-up display and race-type steering wheel peppered with controls. The upholstery is light and spare.
So will it be built, and if so will it look like this? Hunter says: “The dimensions are exaggerated for a show car.” Toyota has a pretty good record of putting concepts into production, and certainly all its sports cars appeared as concepts first (though not all its sports concepts did make production).
TG mentions this and pushes Hunter on the possibility of a road version. “Our concepts always have a purpose. But,” and he shrugs and looks resignedly at his PR minder, “I can’t say more than that at this time.”
But he does insist, repeatedly, that elements of the design theme do show how Toyota is thinking for all sorts of cars. The company wants to get more sexy.
The Toyota FT-1 Concept may look wild, but don’t be surprised if it sees production in the next few years.
Could this be a Supra for a new generation? FT-1 Concept is wild looking, but could actually see production in 1-2 years.
Despite the equivalent of an automotive wardrobe malfunction during its press conference, the Toyota FT-1 Concept made a great first impression here at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show.
The metallic shell covering this low-slung sports car didn’t quite separate, and black clad show workers had to delicately unhinge one of the halves.
Despite the brief technical snafu, this Toyota is one of the high-performance highlights of the Detroit show.
The FT-1 looks to be Toyota’s salvo against the likes of the Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche 911, and the upcoming Acura NSX.
Toyota didn’t give any technical details on the FT-1 Concept.
The rear-wheel-drive sports coupe has a wildly curvaceous body, and fenders that flow up and over the massive wheels.
An especially cool touch is the clear engine cover – though Corvette engineers might suggest the idea was ripped off from the last-generation ZR-1.
Toyota wasn’t offering any technical details, however.
That’s right, not a single one!
Judging from the cars the FT-1 would compete against, a high-revving V-6 or V-8 engine (in the region of 4.0 to 5.0-liters in capacity) seems very likely.
We’d guess something in the region of 400-horsepower is lurking under that transparent hood.
In case you’d like to the FT-1 for a test drive, Toyota is happy to oblige.
The only catch is that your hot laps will be done in the virtual world of PlayStation’s Gran Turismo 6 racing game. (As a bonus, Toyota handed out free copies of the game immediately following its press conference here in Detroit.)
If it reaches production, the FT-1 would carry a price tag of roughly $60,000. But will Toyota build it? If Toyota reps weren’t telling us what’s powering this beast, you can bet no one was mentioning anything about an on-sale date.
The better question might be: Can Toyota afford not to build the FT-1? With everyone from Chevy to Honda hard at work on sports cars, Toyota is bound to join the fun sooner rather than later.
DETROIT – For more than a decade, Toyota’s most exciting car didn’t actually exist, the company focusing on reliable sedans such as the Camry and Corolla. At the 2014 Detroit auto show, Toyota released the FT-1 concept car, a signal that its era of boring design has officially ended.
Kevin Hunter, President of Toyota’s CALTY design center, called the FT-T a “spiritual pace car.”
“FT” stands for Future Toyota, according to Hunter. This new concept shows that the company is bringing back sports car design, such as it used to have with the Celica. In 2001, Toyota launched the Scion FR-S, under a joint project with Subaru. That car won accolades and seems to have given Toyota the confidence to return to the sports car market.
The FT-1 was unveiled at Detroit without any specifications, leaving the identity of the engine visible under a clear panel in the hood a mystery. However, the fact of that clear panel, exposing red valve covers and a strut brace, suggests high performance.
Twenty-one-inch wheels would seem oversized for a sports car, but the entire FT-1 concept was designed to be 110 percent of the size of an actual car of its type, according to a Toyota spokesperson. The oversize design gives it more presence as a show car.
Large air intakes grace the front and sides of the FT-1, the former to feed the engine and the latter to cool the brakes. Likewise, a rear diffuser and automatic spoiler lend to aerodynamic force to handling. The mirrors also feature an aerodynamic lift from the body to reduce drag.
LED headlights give the front of the FT-1 a high-tech look, giving a hint as to cabin electronics features. A transparent panel on top of the dashboard hosts a head-up display, giving the driver line-of-sight performance information.
The top of the steering wheel also shows the driver the car’s current driving mode, along with the gear it’s in, a uniquely positioned information display.
The lack of a shifter on the console or a clutch pedal, and the inclusion of paddle shifters on the wheel, suggest either a dual clutch automated manual transmission or a fully automatic transmission. Again, Toyota has not give any specifications for the car.
Despite the lack of performance data, the car makes an appearance as new, downloadable content for the Gran Turismo 6 racing simulator. Gamers will be able to experience the car’s handling in the game. During a press conference, Toyota noted that Akio Toyoda, CEO of Toyota, used the game version to approve the concept.
Although Toyota does not intend to build a production version of the FT-1, it may inspire design in future cars.
Akio Toyoda has said he wants to make emotional, fun-to-drive cars a top priority at his namesake company, and he didn’t disappoint with the FT-1 Concept. As Autoblog editors, we are arguably more excited about what this Toyota showcar represents than we are excited about the car itself: The FT-1 suggests a concerted company effort towards a new Supra, something we’ve been pining for since the fourth-generation model motored off into the sunset way back in 2002. We also love a surprise, and serious credit is due to company officials for keeping this car totally under wraps until showtime.
How much of this long-nose, all-business FT-1 concept will make it to production? It’s incredibly hard to say. Toyota has confirmed a sports car joint venture with BMW, and a blown Bavarian straight six powerplant would certainly seem appetizing underhood, would it not? At the moment, Toyota has revealed exactly nothing about what motivates the four-seat FT-1 (if indeed it’s anything more than gravity), so our minds are left to wander about what the future may hold. Pardon us, we’ll be playing with the digital version in Gran Turismo 6 while we mull it over…
Maybe your life has felt a bit empty since 1998 when Toyota ceased selling the Supra in the United States. Since then, sportiness and emotionality have been seeping out of the Toyota brand like blue liquid in overflowing diaper commercials.
That could change with the advent of the Toyota FT-1 concept. “FT” is short for “Future Toyota” while the “1″ represents the ultimate, number-one, representation of Toyota coupe design, which draws inspiration from legends like the 2000GT and Supra. Looking to the future, this concept hints at Toyota’s more emotionally evocative design direction.
Designed by the team at Calty Design Research in Newport Beach, California, there’s little information as to what is underneath this car’s skin; however, the quote below from Kevin Hunter, President of Calty Design Research, may fill you in.
“While we’re not saying what engine is going in this car, we wanted it to give the impression, anyway, that it’s in the lineage of that straight-six motor.”
Whether this car remains a concept or becomes something you can buy, you will be able to drive it (at least in the virtual world) because the FT-1 will be available for download Jan. 14 in Gran Turismo 6.
The FT-1 is a simple, beloved concept at its base: front engine, rear wheel drive, swooping body. As classic as any good sports car has been. Toyota has to build it, if they want to be taken seriously again.
But it could all go wrong, like the impressive-but-unownable Lexus LFA. So here’s what Toyota needs to do to make sure the FT-1 is a hit.
ft-1-7
Give it a classic name. Am I hoping they’ll call it a Supra? You bet, it has heritage. But I certainly wouldn’t mind if they revived the 2000GT nameplate, because the FT-1 is promising to be a straight-up boss just like the Toyota’s first sports car. Giving it a new name won’t help make it a memorable venture.
Fight the GTR, not the Aventador. No, being as good as an Evo X or STi isn’t good enough - that’s for $40K cars. If the FT-1 is priced upmarket like we expect it to be, it has to compete with Nissan’s GTR and the new Corvette Z06. But Toyota also shouldn’t make another Lexus LFA - an astronomically priced hypercar that Toyota didn’t actually let customers own. Hypercars are fantastic dream cars, but the market needs something more accessible than a $375K Lexus. If the FT-1 is slotted in the 60-80K range, it’ll be a winner (and undercut the GTR in the process).
Market it like the FRS. Toyota made the FRS’s commercial all about drifting and racing heritage. Hey, they slid the car around a mountain for 30 seconds - that’s what it’s supposed to be all about. Advertising for the FT-1 needs to focus on the raw power and the attitude the car has - the old Supra was always known to be a powerful beast. Give a test car to The Stig and film the ensuing chaos - that’s the only video Toyota needs to cement the FT-1’s reputation.
Make it a Toyota. This seems like such a simple detail, but really it isn’t. Scion was created to sell cheap cars. The FT-1 is not supposed to be cheap. But don’t make it a Lexus, either. The Lexus brand is even more synonymous with curmudgeonry and bingo than the Toyota Avalon - the last time Lexus had a sports car was 2004, the first generation IS300 (the aforementioned LFA doesn’t count - it was a hypercar). A Lexus badge on the FT-1 would do nothing positive, since Lexus’s demographic won’t cross-shop any of the brand’s existing models. It isn’t similar at all, past the name of its parent company.
Actually build it. An obvious point? Perhaps. But if Toyota doesn’t want to continue its fall into a giant vat of vanilla pudding and beige trousers, the FT-1 needs to actually happen.
oh yes plz
So for starters, its really irritating how all the car people are calling this car a supra before toyota them self will say its a supra. It is the FT-1 and will not receive the title “Supra” until probably 6 months before its released for the public. “It will be called a Supra if the car is superior” which is from the CEO iirc when reading an article. So to call it a supra is incorrect.
As for the car itself, pretty damn good looking car. Too bad it wont resemble this when final production comes out. The wheels will be different and I’m sure not end up having knock off/single axle nut for the rim but instead 5 lugs. I’m assuming the styling will not be as exotic/all the ground effects will be gone. It will probably sit another couple inches higher for road legal purposes. I just wish automakers would build a legit looking car for a concept and not something everyone wishes for but never gets as a final product.
I hate the front dick nose of it. Thats my only complaint.
The front end is growing on me. I like how this is as “swoopy” as a Lambo is angular.
Don’t make me go find the Peter griffin car photo… ahh damnit… nevermind…
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I’m curious to see how this turns out in production form.
they wont make this… it’s too awesome to be a Toyota
Another over priced and over hyped car that no one on here will own.
No thanks.
How about car manufacturers start making vehicles that people can afford, and WANT to drive.
Not sure I can agree at all with you on this. They produced the FRS/BRZ and everyone is buying them, affordable car that is a drivers car. Why would you think this wouldn’t be made or that anyone around here wouldn’t afford it. Last I checked, there has to be about 5-8 GTR’s in the area. $70-100k car with a 6 cylinder turbo and a nissan badge. Why couldn’t Toyota create the same thing. (assuming they are doing something like a BMW I6 twin turbo) I could see people buying them. Especially if they keep with the looks they have now.
Idk about you but an FRS/BRZ, I can afford.
A 50-60-70k…not on my salary.
I’m just saying that it’d be nice to see more “fun” cars that aren’t a Toyota Corolla with different headlights. That 25-35k range needs more hero cars willing to break from the monotony of “economy”.
I’d figure around $50k since I believe Lexus is looking to put out a similar car around the $100k range.
You think that FT1 is going to be 50k have you priced new cars lately?
A loaded Avalon is 40k
It would be cool if you were right but doesn’t seem likely I realize the article says 50-60k but I would bet it ends up in the mid-upper 60s and option up.
The only reason I would see the $50 range is due to the price of a vette being $65k+ depending package and markup. Then what I believe hearding was a lexus version in the $100k range. Also the fact its a $50k Toyota that is meant for 2 people only and not entirely practical. It’s going to be a tough market in the $60k+ not being a lexus. Maybe I’m wrong. I see it like the NSX. Who pays $80k for a Honda sports car? It the motor heads eyes… of course. Your average car buyer, not normally.
Edit: Take into consideration the looks dont stay the same, which usually never do with concepts. The rims will be a down grade of what these are. The interior may be more FRS/BRZ like than futuristic. It is a concept design. I loved the way the STI concept looked that had that BMW appeal. That turned out being a Civic like look to it. lol
This concept looks like a swoopy rounded version of the LFA, and that costs $400k… soooo no way in hell will the final version look like that, and there’s no way it will be less than $80k to buy even in base trim IF it even becomes a “supra”
And with all the emissions regs and the push towards hybrids, you know toyota would have to release this as a turbo 4cyl, non-turbo 6-cyl and likely a hybrid 6-cyl, each level with at least $10-15k price hikes
More likely, they will round off the front like an FD rx7, maybe use clever body cladding and trim to mimic some of those ducts and gaps while conforming to the standard coupe formula, the final result will be very tame like the FR-S
Don’t forget, this is toyota, they are addicted to the prius and the camry…
Afew years ago when they cancelled their plans to bring one of the jdm corollas to the us market because it wasn’t “aggressive” enough, you might have thought they were crazy, the jdm one looked great; what they REALLY meant was that it didn’t have a big enough engine, and the styling was too risky
Ford released the focus on north america to great success, and that thing looked like a spaceship escape pod at the time, that was risky – toyota on the other hand would never have approved such an idea