Sophisticated Sequel - The heart-stopping FT-1 Concept gets a subdued, upscale sibling
Sept/Oct 2014
After stealing the North American International Auto Show spotlight with the debut of the FT-1 Concept in Detroit in January, what could Toyota’s design team possibly do for an encore? How about a second FT-1—that exudes urbane refinement?
Though sharing the original’s muscular exterior, deeply sculpted lines and dramatic track-ready persona, this second iteration will likely appeal to a different breed of automotive enthusiast.
Immediately obvious is the exterior color, trading the first FT-1’s bold red for the second concept vehicle’s sophisticated graphite. Inside, that the original’s black leather seating surfaces with red painted edges have been replaced with an all-natural saddle brown with subtly blended accents inspired by high-end leather bags.
The net effect of these and other design variations are two distinctly different FT-1s: one that pushes all of the performance hot buttons and another that is pure sophistication. Yet both are clearly still sports cars at heart, building on a past that includes the 2000GT, Celica, Supra, MR2 and most recently the Scion FR-S. And both concepts—developed by Calty Design Research in Newport Beach, Calif.—point to the future as the spiritual pace cars for the new direction of Toyota Global Design.
It’s a new era in Toyota design, in more ways than one.
Though sharing the original’s muscular exterior, deeply sculpted lines and dramatic track-ready persona, this second iteration will likely appeal to a different breed of automotive enthusiast.
Changing Hue
Though sharing the original FT-1 Concept car’s aggressive lines, this version’s graphite exterior makes a less flashy yet more refined design statement.
Saddle Up
Designers also struck a decidedly different tone with the follow-up FT-1’s interior. The original’s black leather has been replaced with all-natural saddle brown with subtly blended accents inspired by high-end leather bags.
Designers also struck a decidedly different tone with the follow-up FT-1’s interior. The original’s black leather has been replaced with all-natural saddle brown with subtly blended accents inspired by high-end leather bags.
Immediately obvious is the exterior color, trading the first FT-1’s bold red for the second concept vehicle’s sophisticated graphite. Inside, that the original’s black leather seating surfaces with red painted edges have been replaced with an all-natural saddle brown with subtly blended accents inspired by high-end leather bags.
The net effect of these and other design variations are two distinctly different FT-1s: one that pushes all of the performance hot buttons and another that is pure sophistication. Yet both are clearly still sports cars at heart, building on a past that includes the 2000GT, Celica, Supra, MR2 and most recently the Scion FR-S. And both concepts—developed by Calty Design Research in Newport Beach, Calif.—point to the future as the spiritual pace cars for the new direction of Toyota Global Design.
It’s a new era in Toyota design, in more ways than one.
