At Dayton Toyota South Brunswick, NJ, we're big fans of Toyota's FT-1 concept! A type of vehicle all about "gauging customer interest," the FT-1 concept is a (literally) red-hot sports car that celebrates the brand's rich sports vehicle history. Let's take a deeper look at the FT-1 concept and what makes it so special:
Name and Inspiration
The name "FT-1" stands for "Future Toyota" with the number "1" intended to "represent the ultimate". Meant as the "ultimate expression" of the Toyota coupe design, the car builds on the brand's aforementioned rich sports car history in the tradition of the 2000GT, Supra, Celica, MR2 and the Scion FR-S.
Additionally, the inspiration for the car's concept also stems from recent related concept work, such as the FT-HS from 2007 and the Lexus LF-LC from 2012. The FT-1 project began about two years ago and has been described as a "labor of love" by the Calty design team.
“The FT-1 is a dream-project for a designer and car enthusiast like myself,” said Alex Shen, Calty’s Studio Chief Designer, in a press release. “Our team was heavily influenced by Toyota’s sports car past, especially Celica and Supra, and we sought to capture some of that history. It is an aggressive, track-focused sports car concept with a presence that has been amplified for shock and awe.”
The Design
The design of the FT-1 centers around the idea of "function-sculpting," or a muscular, expressive and curved vehicle body seemingly "shaped by the wind." Exterior features were created with airflow management in mind, and include vents, inlets and ducting. A retractable rear wing is utilized when speed increases, which creates additional downforce. The exterior is also meant to be a virtual feast for the eyes with its "dramatic" fender forms, "taut" surfaces and bold, brilliant red hue.
FT-1 interior features were
designed with "a place of business" in mind, and include a low-slung cockpit
with A-pillars set to create a feeling of intimacy and optimize cornering
vision. The delta-shaped display zone actually surrounds the driver to provide
a "connected" feeling, and the cockpit's "minimalist"
design emphasizes a "driver-focused environment." Indeed, seat
cushioning was strategically designed to provide padding in areas the driver
comes in contact with most!
The Future
This concept is directly in line with Toyota's design ambitions for the future, something that excites all of us at Dayton Toyota South Brunswick, NJ!
“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,” said Calty Design Research president Kevin Hunter. “Beyond its obvious five-alarm visual impact, FT-1 is symbolic of a new chapter for Toyota Global Design. 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.”
To learn more about Toyota vehicles, please contact us at Dayton Toyota South Brunswick, NJ, today. We look forward to helping you find your next vehicle!
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