To perform a vital public service to prove that there are some cars that are Gran Turismo-exclusive and nothing else, the producers showcased us a striking concept car straight from the 2014 Detroit Auto Show and available via UPDATE 1.03...
Designed from the Calty Design Research in cooperation with Gran Turismo 6, this strikingly aggressive Toyota concept sports car has a sole purpose to give you the answer to the burning question...is the Toyota FT-1 Concept hints at a possible Supra successor?!
The FT-1 Concept from Toyota represents the ultimate expression of a Toyota sports car design harking back its roots from the 2000GT to today's Toyota 86/Scion FR-S. Although the design looks strikingly amazing for a future Toyota sportscar, it previews more powerful powerplants, basically more aggressive hybrids for sure.
No one knows what powers it because this concept doesn't even have a proposed powertrain but if production gets a green light, it could have numerous powerplant proposals such as a V6, a V8, or a hybrid but in the meantime, it remains confidential for now.
Anyway, the main question for this concept Toyota sports car is...is the Toyota FT-1 Concept hints at a possible Supra successor?!
To find out, I have to go to Japan but one part of Japan to be precise...FUJI SPEEDWAY. Known to be a former F1 track for the Japanese GP until Suzuka and it's been well known to be one of the venues of the Super GT. It also serves as a proving ground for Toyota and for anonymous reasons, it's considered a Gran Turismo-exclusive racetrack.
What I have here is the top-of-the-line version of the final-generation Supra. That's got to be the control here. This Supra in question is the RZ model, the enthusiast-focused model powered by a straight-six JZ turbo engine. I'm going to lap this round the Fuji Speedway before the FT-1.
The fourth-generation Supra has been a favorite among speedo boys everywhere. They drove it, they tuned it, they drift it, they made cops super angry, and overall, one of the best JDM sportscars since the Nissan Skyline GT-R. It's everyone's 10-second car when tuned to the max and right until production ended in the Summer of 2002, 593,337 Supras of all generations were produced.
Oh and from 1995 to 2003, it has been proven to be a worthy contender at the JGTC (former name of Super GT) races. No wonder it has been motorsports-proven to success making Toyota a famed carmaker in its own right in the past.
After moments of jabbering and thrashing round the corners, the Supra RZ managed to set a lap time round the Fuji Speedway (the F part, not the GT one that was used for Super GT purposes) at 2:02.631.
Now, it's time for me to take on the FT-1 concept...
Like I said, the powerplant of this concept remains unknown as well as the engine that powers it but in terms of being a Gran Turismo-exclusive, the FT-1 is proven its worth. Its fate was sealed to the franchise because judging by the fact it was designed in North American for the 2014 NAIAS, it's co-developed by Gran Turismo and tested in the virtual Gran Turismo environment. You have been warned.
But even though its stats remain an enigma, the Toyota FT-1 Concept still feels like a Supra or perhaps any other Toyota sports cars, including the Toyota 86. It still proves to be worthy of promising the Japanese carmaker's "FUN TO DRIVE AGAIN" slogan. The handling is a bit fair though but when it comes to show off its next-gen technology, that's what really gets me noticed and I like the way they made the speedo complete with something that matches the track layout. It's quite as intelligent as a businessman in running shoes. Mmmm...
After moments of rattling the Fuji Speedway in the FT-1, it posted a 1:51.711 lap time. That's almost 11 seconds faster than the Supra RZ.
So there we are, it's proven that the FT-1 Concept from Toyota has the potential to become the future Supra successor if Toyota's in the right climate to do so.
The Toyota FT-1 Concept - DEFINITELY A GRAN TURISMO EXCLUSIVE!!!
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