Toyota FT-86 Teaser for Geneva Auto Show

Toyota allows us a glimpse of new FT-86 II - an evolution of its rear-drive coupe concept

Toyota is set to unveil a second evolution of the FT-86 rear-drive coupe concept at the Geneva show in March.

The FT-86 was first unveiled as a concept back in 2009 and, although rumours last summer suggested that the eagerly anticipated coupe could make production by the end of 2011, the new concept will be the first 'official' step closer to revealing the final design for the new Toyota coupe.

Unfortunately we'll all have to wait a bit longer to see properly what the 'FT-86 II' is, as Toyota is following the distinctly irritating fashion of enigmatic teaser photos.

So, aside from the frustrating photo, all Toyota will say for now is that the FT-86 II "builds on the original concept and will give the clearest indication yet of the final design for Toyota's next sports car".

Oh, and that "this new concept embodies the company's reborn passion for sports car driving".
Very nice, but can we see the car now please, Toyota?

Source;
http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=23083

Toyota Aims to Lift Annual U.S. Sales to Two Million Vehicles by 2013

Yep, this is to be badged a Scion?!?....
By Mike Ramsey
Of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Dow Jones)--Toyota Motor Corp. on Wednesday challenged U.S.
dealers to boost annual sales in the U.S. to two million vehicles by 2013, an
increase of 30% over its current level, according to two people briefed by the
company.

Yoshi Inaba, president of the U.S. operations, made the challenge to more
than a thousand dealers who attended a national dealer meeting, this person
said.

The automaker also showed dealers the two new versions of its Prius hybrid
that it plans to introduce in the U.S. before the end of 2012, these people
said.

The new versions include a subcompact that is smaller than the current Prius
hatchback and about the size of Toyota's Yaris subcompact, they said.

The other looks like a small sport-utility vehicle and has 50% more interior
and cargo space than the existing Prius model, the people said.

Toyota has discussed for more than a year the idea of expanding the number
hybrid models it offers under the Prius name.

After the dealer meeting, Toyota also announced in a statement that it would
make standard its free two-year, 25,0000-mile scheduled maintenance program.
The offer was started as an incentive program in March and never discontinued.
It now applies to all future sales of Toyota and Scion models.

Toyota is seeking to return to the rapid growth rate that made it the world's
largest automaker. On Tuesday, Lexus dealers were told that Toyota would offer
rebates and subsidize loans and leases on most Lexus models in a bid to help
the luxury brand secure the top sales spot among premium brands.

Lexus has been the top-selling luxury make in the U.S. for about a decade but
trails Mercedes-Benz so far this year.

Toyota has lost more than a percentage point of market share in 2010 so far,
mainly as a result of the fallout from the quality and safety crisis that
engulfed the auto maker earlier this year.

In Las Vegas, Toyota Chief Executive Akio Toyoda also told the dealers that
his number one priority was to give customers peace of mind about the products
and to enliven the brand, making the cars more fun and enjoyable to drive, the
people briefed by the company said.

Toyota promised last January that it would go forward with an expanded Prius
line, including, a plug-in version of the Prius that can go about 13 miles on
only electricity before the engine kicks on in 2012.

Toyota, which already sells more hybrids than any other automaker, recently
said it would introduce six new hybrid models in the next two years. The Prius
models build on a well-established brand that has been the market leader in
hybrids.

Mr. Toyoda told the dealers that Toyota would try to be the world leader in
building environmentally conscious vehicles and touted the company's
cooperation with Tesla Motors Inc. Toyota is building a RAV4 electric car using
Tesla battery technology, the people briefed by Toyota said.

He also thanked the Toyota dealers for sticking by the company as they dealt
with millions of repairs for recalled vehicles since last fall, due primarily
to complaints about unintended acceleration, according to the people briefed by
Toyota.

Toyota executives also told dealers they were committed to reviving the
struggling, youth-oriented Scion brand and were bringing a slate of new
products, the people said.

The new Scion models include a production version of its FT-86 concept car as
well as the already-announced Scion iQ subcompact, the people said.

Toyota is one of the few automakers to offer free maintenance on its
vehicles. The incentive was launched in March as Toyota was seeking to regain
the trust of American buyers.

Toyota briefly stopped selling eight of its most popular models in February
to fix a sticky accelerator pedal. Toyota also was in the midst of recalling
millions of vehicles for slipping floor mats that could entrap accelerator
pedals.

Source;
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703735804575536751102318986.html

Toyota Evokes James Bond in New Push for Sports Cars

Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Maurizio Raffone bought a Toyota Motor Corp. Prius hybrid for its top-of-the-line fuel efficiency. In his current search for a new sportscar, he said the Japanese carmaker hadn’t sprung to mind.

“Would I consider buying a Toyota high-end sports car?” said Raffone, a London-based director at Commerzbank AG. “I might think about it, but ultimately I’d choose something with a trident, a prancing horse or a bull on its hood,” he said, referring to cars made by Fiat SpA’s Maserati and Ferrari marques, and Volkswagen AG’s Lamborghini.

As the world’s largest carmaker tries to rebuild its reputation for quality following record recalls, President Akio Toyoda, a racing fan, has said he wants to add more fun to his cars. Under Toyoda, who became president in June 2009, the company has taken orders for the Lexus LFA $375,000 supercar, is readying an “affordable” rear-wheel drive coupe and may even add a sporty version of the Prius.

“Cars like the LFA are brand-builders in the overall product portfolio,” said Ashvin Chotai, London-based managing director of Intelligence Automotive Asia Ltd., an industry consultant. These cars, at the periphery of Toyota’s business model, “are less about volume and more about excitement.”

The projects fall under a new Sports Vehicle Management Division set up in January, a month before Toyoda flew to Washington to face congressional questioning on the company’s recalls for problems related to unintended acceleration.

The unit expands a similar group spearheaded by Toyoda in 2007 and aims to “reinforce sports vehicle product planning,” according to a company statement.

‘Affordable’ Sports Car

The “affordable” sports car, known as the FT-86, is being developed with affiliate Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.’s Subaru unit. Toyota plans to introduce the model by the end of 2011.

Toyoda touts the role of racing in car development and started participating in a 24-hour endurance race in 2007 in Nurburgring, Germany, where various versions of the LFA were tested.

His fervor for racing is reflected on his business card, where a cartoon image of Morizo, his race-car driver alter ego, flashes a peace sign with one hand and cradles a helmet in the other.

The carmaker has firm orders for all 500 units of the limited-production LFA, according to the company. The car will enter production in December.

Toyota gained 1.8 percent to close at 3,085 yen in Tokyo.

‘Technologically Brilliant’

“The LFA is technologically brilliant, but completely overpriced” at almost triple the price of Porsche SE’s 911 Turbo, said Mark Sweeting, an investment banker in London who has owned numerous sporty European cars.

Toyota’s sports cars no longer in production include the Supra, built between 1986 and 2002 and featured in the 2001 racing movie “The Fast and the Furious,” the MR-S roadster that ended production in 2007, and the Celica, made between 1970 and 2006. The company’s first supercar was the 2000GT, which was featured in the 1967 James Bond movie, “You Only Live Twice,” starring Sean Connery.

“Toyota used to have cool sports cars like the Supra and Corolla Levin,” said Kosuke Kakizawa, a sports car fan in Tokyo who owned a Toyota Cynos coupe in the mid-1990s. “Now, when you think of sports cars, you think of the foreign brands,” he said. Kakizawa now owns an Audi TT coupe.

Raffone, the Prius owner, agreed.

“Toyota should really focus on its cutting edge eco- friendly technology and leave the sports cars to the niche manufacturers,” he said.

Lowered Suspension

Last month, Toyota held a test-drive event for its new “G Sports” versions of the Noah and Voxy minivans, which were developed and tuned with the help of race-car drivers and have lowered suspensions, more responsive steering and high- performance brakes.

“These are cars that are sporty without being hardcore sports cars,” to be enjoyed by drivers with families, said Tadashi Yamashina, a senior managing director in charge of the company’s development of sports cars in an interview at the event in Yamanashi prefecture, northwest of Tokyo.

Sports models contribute little to sales volume and profit, Intelligence Automotive’s Chotai said. Toyota sold 1,300 units of the MR-S in Japan in 2006, the last full year it was offered. That compares with 2.27 million cars sold domestically in the fiscal year ended March 2007.

Japanese rival Honda Motor Co. also cut back on sporty cars over the last decade, axing plans for a revamped NSX supercar and ending production of the S2000 roadster in 2009. Instead, Honda introduced the sporty hybrid CR-Z in February.

Toyota displayed a concept hybrid sports car, the FT-HS, at the 2007 Detroit auto show.

Flagship GT-R

Nissan Motor Co., Japan’s third-largest automaker, came out with a more powerful version of its flagship GT-R sports car in 2007.

“The sporty push is understandable since the whole industry is so fixated on improving vehicle fuel economy, which leaves something to be desired” for enthusiasts, said Koji Endo, an auto analyst at Advanced Research Japan in Tokyo.

More sports models may also raise morale inside the company. “Sports cars keep the engineers motivated,” said Edwin Merner, president of Atlantis Investment Research Corp. in Tokyo.

“They are worth doing on a limited scale.”

Source;
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-08-19/toyota-evokes-james-bond-in-new-push-for-sports-cars.html?chan=autos_autos+--+lifestyle+subindex+page_top+stories

Toyota FT-86 debut to be made in 2013! Hybrid version planned!

It appears that the same thing that happened with the Lexus LFA Supercar will happen with the new Toyota FT-86. For those who don’t know, the Lexus LFA was first unveiled in a concept form back in 2005 at the Detroit Auto Show.

The production version was launched last year at the Tokyo Motor Show. The new Toyota FT-86 will likely have the same faith and people will get tired of waiting it! According to the latest reports from Japan’s Best Car magazine, the Toyota FT-86 will make its debut in 2013. The reasons for the delay would be the changing of the design but also the fact that a 2011 release may be premature…What?!?!?!?! Anyway, there is also a good news: Toyota will take a closer look to Honda’s CR-Z hybrid sports coupe and may consider a hybrid version of the FT-86!

Source;
http://www.4wheelsnews.com/toyota-ft-86-debut-to-be-made-in-2013-hybrid-version-planned/

FT-86 Price and Range Out Of Control?

According to sources,”…ballooning development costs will result in a more expensive Toyota FT-86 when it arrives late next year…”

This is without mentioning the disputes over the origin of the power plants…

According to Toyota, the boxer engine is ill-favored, saying, “The Subaru boxer engine planned for the car is not considered to be that clean or fuel-efficient.”

…and that prices with the boxer in tow, could top,”…the Japanese price up to around £15,000 ( $23,000 ), with the range-topper costing £17,000 ( $26,000 ).”

Quite the hike in cost, wouldn’t you agree?

The FT86 is one of the biggest cars to come out in decades and already it is marred in controversy with very little to show for its actual form.

One key element is the internal shift for Toyota: significant where Tetsuya Tada spoke of his team increasing the target age group for the FT-86 by 10 years, from the 30s to 40s, after market research showed that fewer younger buyers would opt for the sleeker coupé than first thought.

7tune is here to make sure things are told as they are.

Source;
http://www.7tune.com/ft-86-price-and-range-out-of-control/

Toyota FT-86 concept gets a family-style welcome

Wow, does this ever look hot! C'mon Honda, respond with the next Prelude!

Toyota Motor Co. president Akio Toyoda has stressed that his family's company must work to create more emotionally engaging products as part of its bid to reinvent its now-battered image. Central to that effort will be the production version of its well-received FT-86 Sports Concept, the two-door rear-driver that made its European debut at this week's Geneva Motor Show, where it drew quite a crowd.

Toyota now appears to be pushing its brand's enthusiast heritage, something it hasn't truly done with fresh products in some time – at least not outside of its Lexus brand. In any case, the Japanese automaker has just released a series of new photos, including a family portrait of sorts that places the FT-86 in the context of the Corolla AE86 (its most obvious spiritual predecessor) as well as the Celica and Supra. Although the press release available after the jump pays lip service to the MR2, none is pictured.

While there is no substantive new information about a production timetable for the comely coupe, Toyota has released a series of images of the FT-86 that are certainly worth perusing. You can check them out below while you're waiting for more info about the car's future.

Source;

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/05/toyota-ft-86-concept-gets-a-family-style-welcome/

Toyota FT-86 G Sports Concept at the Tokyo Salon

Toyota is showing a whole range of “G Sports” kitted up cars at the Tokyo Auto Salon (which is kinda like a Japanese SEMA) but I say by far the most interesting car there is probably this – a FT-86 Concept that’s been done up quite well.

Other than this FT-86, a number of other cars have had the G Sports treatment given to them, such as the Noah, the Voxy, the Mark X, and the Prius. Toyota’s GAZOO Racing arm has its own set of cars to showcase including a Lexus LF-A. Lexus will be showing an IS F Circuit Club Sports Concept. TRD will have a Corolla Axio “GT” TRD Turbo.

And why “G Sports”? Apparently Toyota says the letter G heralds back to the days of cars like the 2000GT and the Celica GT-Four. You know what I think? The letter G comes after F, so Toyota G Sports comes after Lexus F-Sports G-nius!

Another bonus will be a trailer released by Gran Turismo 5 that showcases the FT-86 complete with G Sports kit doing its stuff in the virtual world.

Trailer gran turismo 5 FT-86 g sports concept
Uploaded by leplayosaure. - Discover more gaming videos.

Source;
http://paultan.org/2010/01/16/toyota-ft-86-g-sports-concept-at-the-tokyo-salon/