Yahoo Autos Toyota's Beautiful GR EV Concept May Go Into Production
Concept cars are tricky things. They're designed to get your hopes up, but that can often lead to crushing disappointment when a promising concept doesn't turn into reality. For the Toyota FT-Se, it doesn't sound like that'll be the case. Speaking to InsideEVs at the Japanese Mobility Show, FT-Se designer Hideaki Iida said Toyota is aiming to get this concept into production in the second half of this decade.
"We're going to release the Lexus [LF-ZC] in 2026 and this one afterward," Iida said. "We can't guarantee the year itself, but as soon as possible. After 2026 is what I can tell you."
Earlier this year at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda confirmed to R&T that the automaker's Gazoo Racing division would get its own unique EV model, one with a novel artificial manual transmission. The FT-Se concept wears Gazoo Racing badges prominently on its hood, fenders, and rear decklid.
Iida further told InsideEVs that Toyota would position the production FT-Se as a sort of rival to the Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman, which will go all-electric for the forthcoming 983 generation. The FT-Se certainly has the proportions of a mid-engine car, with its cab-forward design, and that's led many to suggest this car previews some electric revival of the MR-2. But, the MR-2 was never a Porsche rival, so the FT-Se points to something more upmarket.
The "FT" moniker, which stands for Future Toyota, has often been used for concepts designed with production intent. The FT-86 turned into the Toyota 86 while the FT-1 became the Supra.
You Might Also Like
