Toyota has previewed the first electric sports car from its Gazoo Racing performance division, the FT-Se concept, at the Tokyo motor show.
Company boss Koji Sato vowed the machine would be small, low, light and fun, adding that the production version of the high-performance EV will arrive with a driving feel unlike anything else on the road today, the brand claims.
The FT-Se – a development of the unnamed Toyota MR2-sized concept that was revealed in late 2021 – prioritises “handling stability and aerodynamic performance”.
A key facilitator of these objectives will be Toyota's new-era modular architecture and energy-dense battery technology. Shared with the FT-3e SUV concept and the Lexus LF-ZC and LF-ZL concepts that was also unveiled at the Tokyo show, the new technology will allow next-generation Toyota EVs to have a “low centre of gravity” without sacrificing range or performance.
“We are making battery EVs like only a true car maker can,” said Sato. “This means revisiting the fundamentals of car making and delivering based on performance, like driving range and as well as value that only BEVs can offer.
“One example is making cars with both a low centre of gravity and a spacious interior, which was not possible in the past. To do this we need to make the main components much smaller and lighter and deploy our strength as a car maker to put them together in the best package possible.
“Achieving this means that the design, the driving feel and everything else can be transformed.”
He added: "EVs are not only eco-friendly. They also offer their own flavour of driving fun and automotive [characteristics]. They can deliver diverse experience values."
