Toyota FT-1 Second Edition- 08.14.14
Concept cars are like mythical creatures. Stunningly beautiful, comprised of so many things you wish you had… packaged up in a way you’re not sure would survive in the real world. Often you see them poised spinning on a platform at car shows, behind the rope on the Pebble Beach putting green, raced as renders in a video game… So I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go play with the updated Toyota FT-1 when they offered a chance to put it anywhere I wanted at Calty Design Research, their North American design studio in Newport Beach, last week before it headed to Pebble Beach. With all the stunning (usual?) press photos coming, I was thrilled to imagine what it would be like if it was a real car, in real life, that you could really drive home… to look at the details, as if imagining them coming out of your driveway as you head up the coast along the beach…
The Toyota FT-1 second edition that Toyota just unveiled last night… is not a new car. The Second Toyota FT-1 Concept LOOKS a lot like a new car, but it’s really a second styling of their FT-1 Concept that was launched in January 2014 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Calty Design Research. The original was an experiment in what they love to call “functional sculpting,” where everything you see is contributing to the function of the car. They designed it around beautiful puddles of color, which is apparent in every mesmerizing reflection.
For this second edition, the Interior and Color+Trim designers were challenged to make the maximum impact with minimal changes, and wow. Unlike most cars - which start out designed and rendered in silver/grays, the FT-1 was always designed in RED, and has gone back to the more traditional for its second edition in Graphite. The Graphite Exterior with Saddle and Black Leather Interior couldn’t make it feel more different than the racer reds of the first edition. The look and feel have taken the Speed Racer feel of the first and made it more Bruce Wayne. It still screams sporty superhero, but with a bit more of a luxurious, understated twist. Ready to dive into the details of this stunning new colorway on the next page?
Let’s start with the fantasy… imagine the Toyota FT-1 is real… and pulling out of your driveway…
… in actuality, I found a seldom used nook in the back of the Calty grounds with a residential like hedge and basketball court. But we can dream. First impressions with this car are mean, aggressive, and super curvy. The reflections are incredible!
Every new angle and new environment reflected in the FT-1 shows off different curves…
Here are some of my favorite exterior details…
Most incredible detail - the DOORS! swoon - look at the fish hook like curve in the door. And that solid carbon fiber with the leather floating ever so slightly - or as the designers said “only where you need it”…
And the new wheels! Well same wheels as the original of course, but the colors make a world of difference. They are just stunning up close!
And the mirrors!
The detailing and textures in the LED lighting…
… heading inside… the camel/black leather combined with the technical carbon fiber and metal create a luxuriously comfortable yet refined cockpit of sorts to keep the driver focused on the task at hand (driving!)…
Exploring the details inside the design studio - note the scaled clay model and early sketches behind!
Every tiniest detail has been thoughtfully designed. From the headsup display and steering wheel graphics to the shifters and window tabs… look at the gas and thermometer gauges!
In the studio I was able to see the original FT-1 leathers versus the second edition -
… as well as the FT-1 concept in the context of the original clay models and sketches.
Calty gave us a peek into the making of this latest edition…
Here you can really see what a difference the interior has on the feel of the space…
… and a peek at the final color and trim decisions they landed on for a more modern and luxurious twist on their luscious sports car.
In the Calty lobby, you can’t miss the original FT-1 exterior and interior prototypes… positioned in front of their timeline of 40 years of stunning design work!
Of the stunning clay sculptures their modelers have created, this one of Bumble Bee is still my favorite! Some day our cars will transform?
But until then i’ll be dreaming about this futuristic supercar of a Toyota FT-1 becoming a reality… rolling out of my driveway…
As beautiful as the first version. This will be an amazing car, even if some details are modified or dropped. What a great opportunity to have seen it firsthand. Thanks for the photos.
----- Bruce 15.08.14 09:49