{"id":1409,"date":"2014-01-13T16:56:31","date_gmt":"2014-01-13T20:56:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.ardmoretoyota.com\/?p=1409"},"modified":"2014-01-13T16:56:31","modified_gmt":"2014-01-13T20:56:31","slug":"detroit-auto-show-toyota-unveils-ft-1-concept-sports-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ardmoretoyota.com\/blogs\/97\/detroit-auto-show-toyota-unveils-ft-1-concept-sports-car\/","title":{"rendered":"Detroit Auto Show: Toyota unveils FT-1 concept sports car"},"content":{"rendered":"

Toyota unveiled the FT-1, a concept sports car that harkens back to the Supra it made in the late 1980\u2019s and early 1990\u2019s.<\/p>\n

The reveal came a year after\u00a0General Motors\"\"<\/a> drew rave reviews for the seventh generation of the Chevrolet Corvette, which won 2014 North American Car of the Year, and could tap into a renaissance of high-performance sports cars at the U.S. economy finally gains traction.<\/p>\n

Although the Supra isn\u2019t being revived in name \u2014 as was rumored among auto enthusiasts \u2014 the Japanese automaker is reviving the Supra in spirit.<\/p>\n

Calling the grand coupe the Toyota FT-1, the automaker said the vehicle \u2014 designed by Americans in Toyota\u2019s Calty Design Research studios \u2014 stands for \u201cFuture Toyota.\u201d<\/p>\n

Calty President Kevin Hunter called the FT-1 \u201cthe ultimate, world-class sports car,\u201d saying it signaled a pivot in strategy away from \u201cconsensus\u201d-driven design.<\/p>\n

The concept version could portend the arrival of a production model that would inject a dose of fresh energy into Toyota\u2019s staid design image \u2014 a stated goal of President Akio Toyoda.<\/p>\n

The company did not say whether it would build the concept, but it did announce that enthusiasts can drive the car virtually. It will be available as a downloadable vehicle for PlayStation3\u2019s Gran Turismo 6 real driving simulator on Tuesday. The car, the company said, was created digitally to demonstrate what a production FT-1 could achieve.<\/p>\n

Alex Shen, a chief designer who also was on hand for the announcement, pointed out some of the design features: wind-swept curves, deep intakes, sling-shot cockpit, steering wheel controls — and a glass window in the hood to show off the car’s engineering.<\/p>\n

The car also has a pointy nose, an allusion, perhaps to a Formula One car.It<\/p>\n

\u25a0\u00a0Full coverage:<\/strong> Visit Freep.com\/autoshow for more stories, photo galleries and videos<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25a0\u00a0Related:<\/strong> Chevy Corvette, Silverado named North American Car and Truck of the Year<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a symbol of Toyota\u2019s design future,\u201d Hunter said. \u201cThis is the kind of project we dream of working on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Toyota\u2019s press conference at the North American International Auto Show channeled the same energy embodied in the Supra about 15 years after Toyota stopped producing it.<\/p>\n

As journalists awaited the press conference, a giant box was hanging from the ceiling.<\/p>\n

When the event began, the box dropped slowly to the floor \u2014 and several people in “Star Wars” storm trooper outfits rushed onto the stage to \u201copen\u201d the box.<\/p>\n

They immediately encountered a hiccup. The box wouldn\u2019t open right away. A technical assistant rushed to the stage and helped pry the box open.<\/p>\n

The FT-1 concept emerged from its shell, sporting a dramatic rear spoiler and sweeping drop-off from windshield to hood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal is simple but profound: develop a future generation of products that connect on an emotional level,\u201d Hunter said.<\/p>\n

Toyota plans to introduce eight completely new or updated models this year and expects to sell 2.3 million vehicles in the U.S., or about 100,000 more than it sold in 2013.<\/p>\n

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