Smoke and mirrors? Toyota teases the Gran Turismo 6 version of its FT-1 Vision GT Concept.
Traditionally derided for its “plain vanilla” designs, Toyota delivered a shocker when it revealed the FT-1 Vision GT Concept at the Detroit Auto Show last January. And while the maker said it had no plans for production, fans have been hoping the Japanese giant might just change its mind.
That just might be the case. At least, Toyota isn’t letting the FT-1 fade away. And gamers will soon have a chance to take it for a spin via the wildly popular Gran Turismo 6 videogame – which has many fans wondering if there’s more in store.
Could the exotic show car be headed for the real world, perhaps in the form of the revived Toyota Supra? That’s the possibility that is generating intense buzz online.
Whatever the plans, Toyota is offering up a tease of the Gran Turismo take on FT-1 in a 30-second video. The maker says the digital version of the Vision Concept will “soon be available for download,” where it can then be electronically inserted into the racing videogame.
(Click Here to check out the FT-1 teaser video.)
Gamers will get the first chance to "drive" a version of the Toyota FT-1 concept vehicle.
Toyota is far from the only maker to turn to the Gran Turismo series to show off one of its exotic designs. The videogame’s model line-up is a virtual Who’s-Who of hot products, some of which are based on current models, while others are believed to be hinting at products to come. The Nissan Vision 2020 Concept, for example, is thought to reveal much about the next version of the maker’s GT-R supercar.
(Click Here for a look at the Nissan 2020 Concept.)
In concept form, the Toyota FT-1 was intended as merely a styling exercise. While the show car borrowed a Ferrari trick, mounting a powertrain under a transparent panel, it did not actually run. So, Toyota has yet to reveal specific details for the Gran Turismo version, never mind any actual production vehicle.
The concept was said to be designed around a conventional internal combustion engine, and not one of the hybrid powertrains the Japanese maker has become known for – clearly in a bid to show it can deliver some traditional, classic automotive muscle. But whether that would be a big V-8 – perhaps like the 400+ horsepower engine set to debut in the new RC-F from Toyota’s Lexus division tomorrow – or a more high-tech, downsized gas engine remains to be seen.
At the time of the introduction, Toyota hyped the show car as offering “5-alarm visual impact,” Kevin Hunter, the head of Toyota’s California-based CALTY studio, suggesting it will serve as “the symbol of Toyota’s design future.” But that left open the question of whether the show car might also have a place in Toyota’s future product line-up.
Toyota hasn't said what's powering the FT-1.
If the teaser images are any indication, the Gran Turismo take on the FT-1 is even more of a race car than what was unveiled in Detroit. That said, this only shows the flexibility of the basic design, hinting at the possibility of a road-ready version.
(Toyota donates $1 mil to help save Detroit auto museum. Click Here for more.)
As for the possibility of using the FT-1 as the starting point for a new Supra, the revival of that sporty coupe has been the subject of intense buzz lately. One reason is that Toyota is getting ready to roll out a new sports car that it is developing as part of a joint venture with BMW.
The Supra name first appeared on a sporty version of a rear-drive Toyota Celica in the 1970s. In its four generations, the Supra became an increasingly capable – but also increasingly expensive – sports car. Toyota dropped the nameplate in 2002, but there’s been a call for its revival ever since.