FT-1 or Supra

I’ve been on the internet. Well, that was a crappy start. Lets try again.

I was scrolling down my news feed, on Facebook, and saw a post, about the Toyota FT-1 Concept. Before I begin, “FT-1” stands for “Future Toyota One”, in case you were wondering. I have to give it and the design team a round of applause, because this is a sweet ride. The FT-1 looks like a violent hurricane of red metal that, wants to snatch your face from your face. This could finally be the Toyota sports car, something we have wanted since the exit of the Supra. It slots perfectly between the entry level FR-S and the retired stealth bomber, LF-A. I like it…a lot. I just have one slight discrepancy.

Let’s say, for giggles, the FT-1 becomes a production Toyota, and undergoes a name change to Supra. Would it be right? I mean, don’t get me wrong the FT-1 is awesome but would it fit the Supra’s shoes? Is the FT-1, a Supra? This is a yes and no question and for the sake of being somewhat objective, I’ll share both sides first and then give my opinion.

For the sake of not confusing y’all or myself, I will call the FT-1 the Supra.
The FT-1 styling could be the replacement for the Supra we all wanted. It could be, what the GTR is to Nissan and what the Impreza WRX STi is to Subaru. Based off of what I’ve seen so far, it fits the bill. The FT-1 inspired Supra’s front engine and rear wheel drive, like the Supra of the past. It features some technological advances like a rear wing that deploys at high speeds and design cues that follow the legacy of Toyota sports cars.

There isn’t a word on the engine yet, however there are two options for the Supra. Of course, Toyota could stay in house and twin-turbo it’s 3.5L V6, with other developments and advances. They could probably strech 600 horses out of the engine, should Toyota and TRD put up the R&D money. Then, we have option two. Toyota and BMW are collaborating to build the next generation of sports cars. A twin turbo bimmer in-line six would stay true to the Supra’s heritage and give the fans the Supra replacement they have wanted, since the late 90s. There are even rumours of the Supra returning by 2018 so, there is enough time to make this thing right. Or not.

The problem that occurs is what level is sports car technology, going to on come 2018? We are already seeing a shift towards smaller engines which, is no issue for the Supra. The Supra’s issue is, by 2018 will the competition develop their cars and use hybrid technology. There have been rumours of the next gen GTR and Evo using electric motors. Will Toyota have to meet this standard or are they going to keep the sports car exactly that, a sports car? The other issue is pricing.

What would the Supra’s price be? $50k? $100k? Is it going to be something that everyman could afford? Or is it going to be something, people in another tax bracket, could afford? Speculation and rumours point towards the $100k range. Some rumours even say it could cost more than the Corvette. That can be a very loose figure because the standard Stingray Vette starts around $50k and Z06 is $100k. That probably wouldn’t hurt the older Supra fans, due to the the fact that some of them can afford that price tag.

I think that the the FT-1 and Supra are two separate but equal cars. The FT-1 design and style should be what is used for the Supra, sans a few elements. The front should be more open instead of using that split nose look. I know it’s for the sake of aerodynamics but it takes away from the Supra’s true essence, of being a sports cars. I also think there should be an option of a fixed wing, just for heritage purposes. The FT-1 gives off a feel like something in the $100k range and that alone is a turn off. With that being said, however, if you want cheap thrills, Scion has the FR-S. So we already know, the Supra is going to be more than $30k.

The main competition is probably going to be the GTR and the NSX, which creates a whole new issue. If the new Supra isn’t as good or fails to beat the GTR and/or NSX, then 100k looks crazy. Another issue is if, again, the Supra comes with more than the necessary technology for a sports car. I think the purists don’t want the over the top technology. I think they want the old school, no-holds bared, beat down for a sports car. Either that, or a button to disable the assists. The FT-1 looks like the opposite of this car…the Supra needs to be an exact match.

At the end of the day, the Supra is slated to return, in the very popular year of 2018. Should the Supra take more than the design of the FT-1, meaning the high amount of technology based on the looks of the FT-1, it will just be a FT-1. Should the Supra take only the design and add some advancements but, follow what I outlined in the past two paragraphs, then we might have a winner. Either way, the Supra as a technological beast or as a animalistic, raw sports car, the Supra will sell. It would also threaten GTR territory, and make the NSX sweat.