Toyota FT 1 Vision GT

Features

• ・Toyota FT-1 concept enhanced as a pure racing car
• ・Unsurpassed styling based on research of racetracks and racecars
• ・Purely function-driven design aesthetics through “function-sculpting”
• ・Wider fenders are for wider tires to achieve an extreme grip on the track
• ・Enlarged air intakes for increased cooling and larger rear wing for more down force
• ・Canards added to the front for more down force
• ・Bigger rear diffuser holding multiple vertical fins and being pushed back for cleaner airflow

Gran Turismo  6 is a car enthusiast’s dream. What GT6, or any Gran Turismo for that matter, offers is a chance to get as close as possible to the cars we love that we can’t drive in the real world. This is especially true for concept cars. Most concept cars never make it to production, and when they do, they usually end up resembling so little of the concept that it turns out to be a disappointment. Concept cars always look so much better than production cars because the design team has no boundaries or regulations to follow. The FT-1 is no different, as it simply looks fantastic. It was next to the Mercedes-Benz stand at the NYIAS and it stole most of the show-goers away from the German automaker’s. So when GT6 and Toyota announced that they would be making an FT-1 for the new game new game, with a 30 second teaser video, it obviously got all of us excited. It’s called the FT-1 Vision GT Concept, and it looks spectacular with it’s scoops, louvers and all that exposed carbon fiber. Let’s hope it drives as well as it looks, digitally of course.

Remember the Toyota FT-1? It was a proper surprise at this year's Detroit Motor Show; a high-end sportscar concept designed to show that Toyota was getting its mojo back. Good.
This then, is more proof that Toyota's mojo has indeed, enjoyed some cross-mojination, because it's a short, sharp teaser for an upcoming Gran Turismo 6 racer. Remember the Vision GT cars? This is Toyota's version.
It's only 30 seconds long, but the video is well worth a watch, if only to hear a lovely little racing engine. And yes, we get the whole ‘it's not real and it's just a game', but it was designed by Toyota's Calty Design and Research centre in California - the same bods who sketched out the FT-1 concept.

So there's some pedigree involved. And anyway, the Vision GT cars are entirely excellent. Especially the Mercedes, which actually scared us a little bit

Toyota’s FT-1 sports coupe concept raised a storm of approval when it first appeared “in the metal” at this year’s Detroit motor show and then went on to prove its performance in the virtual speed world of the Gran Turismo 6 PlayStation® computer game. Now the car’s designers at Toyota’s CALTY studio in California have gone even further to produce a pure-bred racing version to add to the thrill of the more hard-core Vision Gran Turismo.
Toyota’s original intention was for the FT-1 to appeal to die-hard car enthusiasts, so it has been a natural progression for it to develop the concept to deliver an authentic racetrack experience for die-hard Gran Turismo fans.
The FT-1’s basic shape and architecture lend themselves to the addition of extra cooling and downforce elements to develop the car into its Vision guise, using a design process CALTY dubs “function sculpting”. The designers studied real-world race tracks and race cars and applied their research to the styling exercise, delivering a car that broadcasts raw power and performance in its pure, function driven appearance.
Details include wider wheelarches to accommodate the larger tyres needed for extreme grip; enlarged air intakes for increased cooling; and a larger rear wing and front Canard fins to generate greater downforce. There’s also a bigger rear diffuser housing multiple fins, set further back to create a cleaner airflow.
In essence, every detail has been addressed to make the FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo look and feel the way it performs to create the sensation of a real race. The FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo will be available for Gran Turismo 6 users from September.