Toyota to unveil new sports car and EV concepts

Great to own and fun-to-drive: those are the guiding principles behind a new Toyota sports car concept that will break cover for the first time at the Tokyo motor show later this month.

The five-seat FT-86 (that’s hachi roku in Japanese) goes back to the fundamental qualities of the classic sports car with its rear-wheel drive configuration, compact dimensions, low centre of gravity and lightweight construction. Under the bonnet there is a 2.0-litre boxer engine that is strong on both performance and environmental quality.

The show car’s bodywork is finished in Flash Red, an eye-catching shade that contains a hint of blue. Inside, the cabin design further expresses the car’s classic sporting qualities with many of the structural elements left uncovered.

FT-EV II
Tokyo will also mark the world debut of the FT-EV II, a compact electric vehicle designed for short distance travel. Its design and technology look to a future society where EVs will be in common use, among a range of different means of transport that will reflect user requirements, the type of energy used and the local energy supply infrastructure.

FT-EV II is a high-quality vehicle concept, designed primarily for urban driving with a body that is even more compact than that of the Toyota iQ, but still with room for four seats on board.

Drive-by-wire technology allows all the vehicle functions to be controlled using a joystick, including the accelerator, brakes and steering. Removing the throttle and brake pedals frees up legroom for the four-seat design.

The exterior features a low front cowl and an additional window below the level of the windscreen to give extra forward visibility. To improve safety through the quality of all-round vision, the rear lamp clusters are see-through LED units. To ensure easy access in tight spots, there are electric sliding doors on both sides.

Top speed is above 60mph and a full-charged battery will give a range of more than 50 miles, which is ample for most urban journeys. The ride is quiet and comfortable with smooth acceleration, thanks to Toyota-developed motor control technology, itself part of the hybrid system that sits at the heart of the company’s environmental technologies.