Toyota FT-1 Evo - Toyota shows ‘real-world’ Supra concept

By Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

14 August 2014 11:33

Has Toyota dropped a hint that the glorious FT-1 concept car could be bound for a showroom one day? It today unveiled new photographs of the super-coupe, calling it ‘a real-world’ version.

Toyota has form here, remember. The Lexus LFA was shown interminably at motor shows around the world - its gestation took so long, it even needed facelifting. While the Toyota FT-1 was only shown at the 2014 Detroit motor show, it’s telling that Toyota today issued two separate FT-1 announcements.

The roadgoing FT-1 has new, hyper-cool graphite paint in place of the original’s bright scarlet, and the cabin is overhauled with new saddle leather used.

It’s telling that Toyota and BMW are collaborating on a new sports car to slot above the GT86/BRZ twins. CAR has already revealed the‘Silk Road’ project which is expected to spawn a new Supra-type vehicle.

We’d wager that today’s announcement means that likelihood is increasing. And if the future looks like the FT-1, bring it on, we say.

This is where it gets a bit confusing. Toyota today separately issued more pictures of an FT-1 ‘Evo’, produced by the company’s Californian design studio with aero tweaks for better high-speed handling, in theory at least.

For the Toyota FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo concept is another in a string of virtual cars made real at the request of the makers of the popular driving computer game that’s celebrating its 15th anniversary.

This version has gone to race school and been peppered with extra aero addenda. Calty call it ‘function sculpting’, so the bodywork is peppered with extra air intakes, wilder wheelarches for the broad, sticky rubber required to keep the FT-1 glued to your screen, ‘Canard’ fins at the front for extra downforce and that huge rear wing (© Boeing).

You can download the FT-1 on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo 6 from September 2014.

See more of CAR’s photoshoot of the Toyota FT-1 on our Facebook page here.

By Tim Pollard