TOKYO MOTOR SHOW UNVEILS THE TOYOTA FT-SE ELECTRIC SPORTS CAR

By Jeff Gibbs

Unveiled at the 2023 Tokyo Mobility Show, the Toyota FT-Se represents an electric sports car concept aimed at providing a glimpse of “one of the options for sports cars in the carbonneutral era,” as per the Japanese automaker. While specifc technical details are scant, it’s known to share essential components with the Toyota FT-3e SUV concept revealed simultaneously. The FT-Se is said to leverage the expertise gleaned from Toyota Gazoo Racing’s motorsport endeavours, including its hybrid participation in the World Rally Championship and World Endurance Championship.

Originally believed to hint at an all-electric replacement for the Toyota Supra, the FT-Se’s proportions and positioning lend credence to Toyota President Koji Sato’s aspirations of resurrecting the Celica. Its sleek bodywork also aligns well with an MR2 badge.

With Toyota’s recent revival of iconic nameplates like the 86 and Supra, the idea of bringing back other cherished models from its catalogue makes sense, particularly as the company has fled trademark applications to protect the Celica name. The FT-Se, whatever its ultimate destiny, boasts a battery powertrain and a low-slung design that promises a favourable centre of gravity for enhanced handling.

Is this what we’re witnessing here, with the Toyota president expressing his desire to resurrect the Celica?

The electric motor or motors offer impressive performance, and the car is designed to

“evolve alongside the driver through software updates.”

Inside, the fully digital cockpit places the instrument display low to enhance visibility, and kneepads are integrated to assist the driver in maintaining their position during high-g force manoeuvres.

While the FT-Se offers a preview of an all-electric sports car, Toyota Australia’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Sean Hanley, emphasizes that the brand remains committed to a multipathway approach toward achieving carbon neutrality. Hanley notes that the FT-Se is a high-performance sports battery-electric model, representing just one of the choices in the carbon-neutral sports car landscape, and it leverages the expertise gained through Toyota Gazoo Racing’s efforts to improve cars through motorsport.

Toyota’s broader strategy entails electrifying all its models by 2030, with the exception of Gazoo Racing cars, indicating an intention to sustain combustion engines through means like synthetic fuels or hydrogen.