Toyota FT-Se concept previews future MR2 sucessor

Toyota has unveiled the FT-Se EV concept that previews the brand’s first EV Gazoo Racing sportscar at the Tokyo Motor Show 2023. Promised to be small, low, light and fun by Toyota CEO Koji Sato, the high-performance EV will arrive with a driving feel unlike anything else on the road today, so the brand claims. 

The FT-Se – a development of the unnamed Toyota MR2-sized concept that was revealed in late 2021 – prioritises “handling stability and aerodynamic performance”.  A key facilitator of these objectives will be Toyota's new-era modular architecture and energy-dense battery technology. Shared with the FT-3e SUV concept that is also on display at the same event, it allows next-generation Toyota EVs to have a “low centre of gravity” without sacrificing range or performance.

 

“We are making battery EVs like only a true carmaker can,” says Sato. “This means revisiting the fundamentals of car making and delivering based on performance, like driving range and as well as value that only BEVs can offer. One example is making cars with both a low centre of gravity and a spacious interior, which was not possible in the past."

 

He continues: "To do this, we need to make the main components much smaller and lighter and deploy our strength as a carmaker to put them together in the best package possible. Achieving this means that the design, the driving feel and everything else can be transformed."

A defining feature for the cars that sit on this modular electric architecture is the flexibility it offers in size, shape and powertrain layout. The vehicles are split into three parts (front, centre and rear) using a new gigacasting production process that allows for more freedom of form. 

The FT-Se is expected to draw power from Toyota's new 'Performance' lithium-ion battery pack – set to arrive in production cars in 2026 – which is claimed to increase range to around 497 miles and cut costs by up to 40 percent.

Toyota previously confirmed that this battery would enable the development of electric sportscars like the FT-Se, owing to a targeted pack height of 100mm. This is 50mm shorter than the battery in the existing bZ4X SUV, enabling a significantly lower seating position.

 

The new model is also set to introduce a new Arene OS, which allows its dynamic character to evolve with software updates. Revealed at the Tokyo Show, Arene “can stay up-to-date with the latest software and use vehicle data to speed up development,” says Sato. 

Inside, it is designed to be driver focused, with two smartphone-style display screens flanking a narrow yoke steering wheel. The digital instrument display is set much further away from the driver than in existing sportscars, such as the Toyota GR Supra, and is reminiscent of Peugeot’s i-Cockpit interior design. There are also newly designed knee pads, which are said to "protect the body from g-forces”, helping to prevent the driver from sliding in the seat during hard cornering.
 

It is possible that the FT-Se may also feature a manual gearbox. Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda confirmed to our sister publication Autocar UK in June that the company was testing its first GR electric sportscar, stating: “There is also a manual transmission and also a clutch. If you put someone in the car and asked them to drive it and guess the powertrain, they probably wouldn’t be able to tell you.”

The firm last year revealed early details of a manual transmission project for upmarket brand Lexus, in a bid to add extra engagement to its future EVs. This set-up would not connect directly to the motor, but instead simulate gearchanges by adjusting the torque settings of the electric motor. 

Chief engineer Takashi Watanabe suggested that this system could also be programmed to allow the car to roll back on a hill, or emulate a stall, so that bad driving is punished.

Lexus previously confirmed that this system is earmarked for use in the all-electric LFA successor, whose design was previewed by the Electrified Sport Concept in 2022.