Toyota has taken the wraps off a new lightweight concept sports car inspired by an iconic coupe from the 1980s – and the company says it is “green” as well as “mean”.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The rear-wheel-drive FT-86 recalls the spirit of the 1980s Corolla AE86 (with 16-valve, fuel injected 4A-GE engine) but has a low centre of gravity and a two-litre ‘boxer’ (horizontally-opposed) engine developed by partner Subaru.
Toyota engineer Tetsuya Tada said demand remains strong for sports cars “particularly among middle-aged men who have fond memories of the Corolla 86 and who would like to drive it once again”.
He added: “When green cars become prevalent, consumers will choose brands that offer something extra.”
The FT-86 will make its public debut at this month’s Tokyo show along with a new version of the electric concept car based on the production iQ.
The four-seater FT-EV II runs on lithium-ion batteries and has a top speed of more than 100km/h (62mph). Toyota has previously said it aims to launch an electric car in the United States by 2012.
FT-EV II project manager Akihiro Yanaka said: “”We think the time is almost ripe for cost levels, batteries and performance to evolve one step further.”
The EV concept car is less than three metres long, has solar panels on its roof and is designed to be easily recharged at shopping malls or at home.
The Mainichi newspaper reported that Toyota and Subaru maker Fuji Heavy Industries were considering jointly developing electric vehicles that could go on sale in the early 2010s although Toyota declined to comment.
Mainichi said that Toyota, which holds a 16% stake in Fuji Heavy, was eyeing technical data collected on the performance of the Subaru plug-in Stella as it works toward its plan of rolling out an electric car based on the FT-EV microcar concept in Japan, Europe and the United States by 2012.
Citing an unidentified source, the paper said engineers working on electric cars at Fuji Heavy would merge with Toyota’s electric car team. Fuji Heavy would shift its battery procurement in the future to Panasonic EV Energy, a battery joint venture between Toyota and Panasonic.
The plug-in Stella currently uses lithium-ion batteries from Automotive Energy Supply, a joint venture between Nissan Motor and NEC.
