The Toyota FT-Se Concept that the company revealed last month will likely become a production vehicle in the second half of this decade. It previews a new two-seater coupe that might become more than a fresh offering in the Toyota lineup.
The concept already looks ready for the road, but it won't arrive until sometime after 2026. Toyota hasn't said much about the car, but the company hasn’t been completely silent about it, either. Here’s what we know so far about the Toyota FT-Se.
What Will It Look Like?
The concept Toyota trotted out last month gave us flashbacks to the MR2 – but you won't find a bank of cylinders banging away behind the bulkhead.
The FT-Se Concept features oversized intakes at the front flanked by an even larger grille opening. Vertical daytime running lights demarcated the sharp-edged fender arches that sliced down the doors and pinched the rear of its greenhouse. The back end was all business with a sizable diffuser, a small lip spoiler, and slim taillights.
The concept's cabin looks ready for production with its futuristic and minimalistic design. A small horizontal screen tucked away in the concept's dash serves as the digital instrument cluster, with a pair of smaller screens on either side of the yoke-shaped steering wheel for quick access to vehicle functions and the infotainment system.
While the FT-Se is just a concept, the design is so finished that it looks like it could already be on sale. If this turns out that, much like other Toyota concepts, the final product might not look so different – or so we hope – and that would be a good thing.
Our rendering takes the concept and tweaks it only slightly; a revised front bumper, production-friendly light fixtures, new mirrors, and a beautiful new blue paint job bring it that much closer to the road.
What's Under The Hood?
Fumihiko Hazama, the concept's chief engineer, revealed to Top Gear magazine that the FT-Se had two motors, one driving each axle, giving it all-wheel drive. He estimated the sports car could reach 60 miles per hour in under three seconds, with a projected top speed of 155 miles per hour.
The company has confirmed that the electric coupe will share the Lexus LF-ZC's high-performance prismatic batteries. We don't know how "high-performance" they will be, but Lexus aims to give its car around double the range of conventional battery-electric vehicles, or over 600 miles. Don't expect that much in the coupe, though.
While the FT-Se is an electric vehicle that doesn't require a transmission, Toyota alluded to it using its simulated "manual" gearbox that's supposed to arrive around 2026. And if we're to believe patent filings, it could have up to 14 gears. The concept didn't feature a shifter between the seats, but the production car could accommodate one. It could also include a "paddle-shift" version of the same system.
Other features possibly on tap could include simulated "engine" sounds from other Toyota models, like the Lexus LFA, or Toyota’s new variable-ratio steer-by-wire system and yoke steering wheel controls. All in all, the FT-Se could be quite the testbed for new technologies expected to roll out across Toyota’s lineup someday.
Toyota plans to keep the car’s weight down by using a combination of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, aluminum, and steel. The battery pack is said to be lighter than what's currently in use, too.
What Will It Be Called?
Toyota covered the concept car in GR badges – fender, nose, and steering wheel – and Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda said earlier this summer that the automaker's GR performance division would one day have its own standalone EV model. He said last month that the FT-Se has a "brand-new design language to show this is a new brand" and not something "traditional."
It's possible the FT-Se name remains given Toyota's recent run of confusing naming structures (see: bZ4X). But given its size and scope, we've slapped an "MR-Z" badge onto backside of this rendering, although, it's unlikely we see the "MR" name return on this car.
What Will It Compete With?
While Toyota hasn't provided a specific power output for the model, Hideaki Iida, the project manager for the Gazoo Racing Design Group and the concept's designer, did reveal in an interview last month that he envisioned it being able to compete with the Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman. The next-generation versions of the Porsche pair will arrive in 2025, and they'll be all-electric, too.
When Will It Debut?
It'll debut sometime after 2026. Iida couldn't provide a firm launch date for the model when he spoke with InsideEVs last month. However, he did reveal that it would arrive "as soon as possible" after the Lexus LF-ZC launches, which happens in 2026, but he couldn't promise a specific year.
How Much Will It Cost?
Its price is a complete mystery. It will depend on numerous factors that Toyota likely hasn't figured out yet, and predicting the price of an all-new model three years into the future isn't easy.
If it does arrive competing with Porsche, Toyota could be well within its right to charge north of $70,000. The combustion-powered, entry-level 718 Cayman on sale today starts at $69,950 (the price includes the $1,650 destination charge), and we doubt the all-electric version will be cheaper.
