Toyota Aims to Deliver FT-1's Virtual Performance for Real
Toyota might be making serious moves toward a production version of the FT-1 concept that set Detroit ablaze last January.
In what look like scanned pages of MotorTrend’s July issue, the magazine reports that Toyota Motor Sales – the company’s U.S. arm – is rumored to have ordered a second copy of the FT-1 concept in a different color following overwhelmingly positive feedback on the auto show circuit. The same report suggests that Toyota is working on a wide-body race car version in a video game tie-up, possibly with the Gran Turismo racing franchise.
MotorTrend opines that a second concept car being ordered signals Toyota taking a more serous look at building what was originally meant to be a design study because that would mean the company greenlit additional spending on the project. Word is, Toyota wants to shoot for the 2,900-lb weight and 485-hp output rating that the FT-1 Concept claims in Gran Turismo 6.
There still isn’t any word on what might power the car, but Toyota is currently working with BMW to co-develop a sports car. Bavarian Motor Works is currently using a turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine to power its newM3 and M4 siblings, so it isn’t outlandish to imagine that engine showing up in Toyota’s yet-unnamed sports car. In the BMW application, the engine pushes out 425 hp, which would put the FT-1 in spitting distance of that goal before any sort of enhancements.
A Toyota spokesman was not available to comment on the rumor.
GALLERY: Toyota FT-1 Concept Live Photos
GALLERY: Toyota FT-1 Concept Official Photos
[Source: FT-1 Club]
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Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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