Skip to main content

Toyota’s new FT-1 concept variants have us seeing double

When the Toyota FT-1 concept was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show back in January it, to say the least, made quite an impression. Toyota apparently had enough sense to milk it.

The Japanese carmaker unveiled two new versions of the sports car concept at an event conceding with the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The FT-1 is widely believed to preview the next Toyota Supra, and the existence of these follow-ups indicates Toyota has big plans for it.

The first is the FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo, Toyota’s contribution to the series of virtual concept cars celebrating the racing-game franchise’s 15th anniversary.

For its digital makeover, Toyota turned the FT-1 into a race car. The lowered stance, big rear spoiler, and copious louvers indicate serious performance, but Toyota didn’t have anything specific to say about the mechanical bits.

The Vision Gran Turismo hints at what a racing version of the next Supra could look like and, as with the other “Vision” cars, it will be available as downloadable content in Gran Turismo 6. So will the other two FT-1 concepts, actually.

RELATED: Toyota renews Supra trademark, revives fanboy fantasies

The second new FT-1 iteration takes things in the opposite direction. The graphite-colored car is an “upscale interpretation,” according to Toyota.

The interior color changes as well. The seats and other surfaces are now covered in tan leather. The look was apparently inspired by the transition superhero costumes have made from bright colors to more muted, realistic hues.

Together, the exterior and interior show a color combination that people are likely to buy, but that would be too subtle to be used in advertising or press materials for a production car. Not every sports-car buyer goes for bright red, after all.

As such, the second FT-1 concept strips away some of the concept-car showiness of its predecessor, and gives a better hint at what the production road car will look like.

Speaking of which, when will we see it? Given the steady volume of Supra reports and rumors, it can’t be far off. Toyota is reportedly working with BMW to develop a sports-car platform, which will also serve as the basis for the next Z4.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
The Nissan Rogue is joining the plug-in hybrid club in 2025
nissan rogue hybrid 2025 2024

It might have taken a while, and slumping sales of its most popular SUV, but Nissan has finally taken the step to offer hybrid vehicles in the U.S. The Japanese automaker will add a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain to the 2026 Rogue compact SUV, which should be available stateside sometime next year, Nissan Americas chief planning officer Ponz Pandikuthira told Automotive News.A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) typically runs on electric power until its battery is almost depleted, at which point it automatically switches over to using a gasoline-powered internal combustion engine. The battery can be recharged conventionally from the outside or through regenerative braking.
While Nissan has been offering popular fully electric vehicles (EVs) such as the Leaf and the Ariya for years, it has surprised many by not joining the hybrid bandwagon, especially for the Rogue. Competitors such as the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V, which do provide the part-fuel, part-electric power capacity, have seen their sales surging. Meanwhile, sales of the Rogue have slumped this year.
That’s why Nissan is partnering with Mitsubishi to start offering its first-ever electrically assisted car in the U.S. next year.
According to the Automotive News report, the Rogue will be outfitted with a similar powertrain found in the Mitsubishi Outlander. In that model, a 2.4-liter gas engine powers the front wheels, while two electric motors create an all-wheel drive system that can either work on its own or in conjunction with the gas engine. As the Outlander is able to deliver 248 horsepower, that would make the Rogue PHEV more powerful than the existing model’s 201 hp. The Outlander is also rated for 38 miles of electric driving by the EPA.
In addition, Nissan is planning to bring its non-plug-in, e-Power series hybrid technology to the U.S. in 2026. This technology, already available outside the U.S., also uses electric motors to power the wheels while using the gas engine to charge the battery.

Read more
Are self-driving cars the death of car ownership?
Tesla Cybercab at night

Self-driving cars are coming. It remains to be seen how long that will take. Plenty of vehicles can more or less drive themselves on highways, but for now, they still can't completely reliably drive themselves on all streets, in all conditions, taking into account all different variables. One thing is clear, though: the tech industry sees autonomous driving as the future of personal transportation, and they're spending billions to reach that goal.

But what happens when we get there? Tesla made headlines for not only announcing its new Cybercab fully autonomous vehicle, but simultaneously claiming that customers will be able to buy one. That's right, at least if Tesla is to be believed, the Cybercab doesn't necessarily represent Tesla building its own Uber-killing fleet of self-driving cars, but instead giving people the ownership over the self-driving car industry.

Read more
Tesla and Elon Musk sued over use of AI image at Cybercab event
tesla and spacex CEO elon musk stylized image

Tesla’s recent We, Robot presentation has run into trouble, with one of the production companies behind Blade Runner 2049 suing Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, for alleged copyright infringement.

Tesla used the glitzy October 10 event to unveil its Cybercab and Robovan, and also to showcase the latest version of its Optimus humanoid robot.

Read more