A couple of interesting new concept cars will receive their world premieres at the Tokyo Motor Show in late October as Toyota release the first images of the two vehicles.
FT-86 Concept
A new Toyota sports car concept that is both fuel efficient and fun to drive the FT-86 is a five seat vehicle with rear-wheel drive and low centre of gravity.
Powered by a 2.0 litre boxer engine the car also benefits from a lightweight construction and compact wheelbase.
FT-EV II
The second world debut is for the FT-EV II, a compact electric vehicle designed for short distance travel. It’s purely a concept vehicle and attempts to let us glimpse into the future when electric vehicle travel is common place. Designed primarily for urban driving with a body that is even more compact than that of the Toyota iQ, but still with room for four seats on board.
One of the more quirky features of the car is the use of a joystick to control the accelerator, brakes and steering. This allows conventional pedals to be removed from the cabin, freeing up leg space.
The exterior features a low front cowl and an additional window below the level of the windscreen to give extra forward visibility. To improve safety through the quality of all-round vision, the rear lamp clusters are see-through LED units. To ensure easy access in tight spots, there are electric sliding doors on both sides.
Top speed is above 60mph and a full-charged battery will give a range of more than 50 miles, which is ample for most urban journeys. The ride is quiet and comfortable with smooth acceleration, thanks to Toyota-developed motor control technology, itself part of the hybrid system that sits at the heart of the company’s environmental technologies.
