Toyota present 'FT-1' concept at 2014 NAIAS

FT-1 designers describe the concept as the ultimate expression of a Toyota coupe design - a compelling visual statement that represents a taste of the excitement people can expect to see in future Toyota production models. Designed at Toyota's Calty Design Research studio in California, FT stands for "Future Toyota", while the "1" represents what Toyota say is the ultimate.

Interestingly, the FT-1 was originally devised by Calty in the Sony PlayStation Gran Turismo game environment. To inject more "fun" into the Toyota brand following the launch of the wildly-popular 86, Toyota made the decision to take the FT-1 from "virtual" to "reality". Almost two years in the making, the car was officially unveiled for Toyota's presentation at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

Despite its "virtual" origins, the FT-1 builds on Toyota's rich sports coupe heritage, starting with 1967's 2000GT, through Celica, Supra, MR2 and most recently the 86, Australia's best-selling sports car. The concept also draws inspiration from Calty's sports-car concept work such as FT-HS, displayed at the Melbourne International Motor Show in 2008, and the 2012 Lexus LF-LC.

Its already being speculated that the FT-1 will herald the return of the Supra to the Toyota sports lineup, albeit in a much more "production friendly" version than the concept presented here.

Calty president Kevin Hunter said FT-1 is symbolic of a new and exciting chapter for Toyota global design.

"Sports cars represent the ultimate driving expression in its purest form. As car enthusiasts ourselves, this is the kind of project we dream about working on," Mr Hunter said.

"This provocative concept truly captures the passion, excitement and energy of the Toyota we are evolving into and embodies elements of the emotion and performance that Toyota will imprint upon future production designs."

The FT-1 design was guided by the Toyota ethos of 'Vibrant Clarity', a unique fusion of emotional and rational factors that delivers what Toyota says is a more exciting and dramatic design expression with a unique 'Toyota' identity. The goal of this ideological shift is to develop future generations of vehicles that better connect emotionally with Toyota's global consumer base.

Vibrant Clarity is aimed at creating a more satisfying ownership experience that complements Toyota's legendary reputation for quality, durability and reliability.

Calty's chief designer Alex Shen said the project, which started nearly two years ago, represents a labour of love by his team.

"The FT-1 is a dream project for a designer and car enthusiast like myself," Mr Shen said.

"It is an aggressive, track-focused sports car concept with a presence that has been amplified for shock and awe," he said.

FT-1's "function-sculpting" design language produced curved, muscular, expressive body forms with taut surfaces and dramatic front and rear fenders that feature an bold red hue.

The body's blatant athleticism and track-ready nature are reinforced by airflow management through inlets, ducts and vents. At higher speeds, a retractable rear wing deploys and tilts forward to create additional downforce.

The front-engine, rear-wheel drive configuration locates the cockpit far rearward within the wheelbase for classic sports-car proportions that improve weight distribution.

The cockpit's wraparound windscreen and side glass openings are a distinct nod to the design of the legendary Toyota 2000GT.

The interior is a focused, highly functional "place of business" that locates the driver at the controls behind an F1-inspired steering wheel.

The intimate, low-slung cockpit has its A-pillars set far back to help optimise cornering vision and evoke a sensation of the cabin's intimacy.

A delta-shaped display zone surrounds and integrates the driver to provide an exhilarating sense of being connected to the vehicle.

A colour head-up display keeps the driver's attention on the road ahead with vital information projected just above the steering wheel within the driver's line of sight.

The minimalist cockpit adds to the driver-focused environment with an emphasis on light-weight components. The composite seat is covered with just the right amount of padding in only the areas that come into contact with the driver.

While technical specifications do not accompany the concept, the FT-1 vision embraces a high-technology, high-performance drivetrain with the details being left to the imagination of the onlooker.

In preparation for pitching the concept to Toyota management, Calty worked with Polyphony Digital, creators of the popular Gran Turismo driving simulator, to bring FT-1 to life in a virtual world that captured the excitement, passion and performance conveyed by the concept model.

Toyota executives were offered the opportunity to take FT-1 for a timed lap around a computer-generated Fuji Speedway.

Behind the wheel of the concept, Akio Toyoda - an accomplished race car driver - completed the virtual circuit faster than his best real-world lap time at Fuji in his Lexus LFA.

From that moment, he was convinced and the concept was approved to be built in model form for the international motor show circuit.

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