Toyota will begin production of the FT-Se, which will compete with the Porsche Boxster and Cayman, at this date
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Toyota will begin production of the FT-Se, which will compete with the Porsche Boxster and Cayman, at this date |
The latest reports received regarding Toyota indicate that it will begin production of its new FT-Se electric car by this date.
Toyota occupied a large part of the spotlight at the Tokyo Mobility Show with the unveiling of its new FT-Se concept car. It is not surprising that this brilliant car, with its elegant design and symbolism of offering a possible electric “manual” transmission, arouses a lot of excitement.
Things are getting even more exciting now that Hideaki Iida, the mastermind behind the design of the Toyota FT-Se and project manager for Toyota's Gazoo Racing (GR) group, has hinted at the car's future.
During an interview at the show, Ida revealed that the FT-Se shares a battery pack with the Lexus LF-ZC, which is officially scheduled to enter production in 2026.
“We will launch the Lexus in 2026 and this model after that,” Ida said. Although he could not confirm the exact timetable, his promise that the Toyota FT-SE will enter production is great news in itself.
The FT-Se looks more “complete” than many of the other concepts Toyota has shown. Unlike the Land Cruiser Se, which had opaque windows and was missing interior trim, the FT-Se looked flashier, indicating it was close to production.
During a recent interaction with Toyota President Akio Toyoda, he announced that Toyota's GR division is gearing up to introduce a special series of electric vehicles. If we connect the dots, it would not be far-fetched to look at FT-Se as the closest option to the market.
Toyota's new simulated "manual" transmission for electric vehicles is also expected to appear around 2026, which makes things make more sense. Although the idea of a manual transmission in an electric car may raise eyebrows, it indicates Toyota's interest in the tactile interaction that manual transmissions offer, even though the engine will be completely different.
While Ida remained wary of revealing specific details such as power, weight and price, he hinted that the FT-Se is positioning itself in competition against cars like the Porsche Boxster and Cayman.
With rumors that these two models will also go electric soon, it seems that the sports car sector is ready for an exciting experience.
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