Reports out of Australia say that the stunning Toyota FT-1 supercar revealed in Detroit will be the next Supra. In addition, Toyota plans to release another entry-level sports car slotting below the Toyota 86/Scion FR-S.
According to Motoring.co.au, the mandate comes from CEO and noted sports car enthusiast (and sometimes race car driver) Akio Toyoda himself. At the Detroit Auto show last month it was revealed that Toyoda decreed his company’s products be invigorated with wakidoki, a Japanese word meaning “a palpable, heart-pounding sense of excitement.”
A new sports car division has been established within the company, headed by Tetsuya Tada, chief engineer of the FR-S. Tada says that the two sports cars is just the start, and that a whole new range of sports cars will be added to the Toyota portfolio starting in 2016.
As the FT-1 transitions from concept to production, its aggressive lines and scoops will toned down, sources say. Two engines are currently being considered, a base 2.0-liter turbo four shared with the upcoming Lexus NX and a 2.5-liter turbo V6 hybrid capable of 402hp for the top shelf model. The price is expected to come in below $100,000 and could go on sale by 2016.
The entry-level sports car, on the other hand, will run a 1.5-liter hybrid. The price is expected to come in at just $16,000 with an on-sale date sometime in 2017.
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