Consumer focus groups/surveys/feedbacks for new Supra?

MATT

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I know they do secret focus groups for new cars all the time and things sometimes get leaked. Does toyota do this in the states or in Japan?

The have been a few cars where a lot of stuff gets leaked from it. They sign confidentiality forms and all but that doesn't really stop people from describing the car or sketching it from memory... ya think we'll see anything like this for FT1/Supra?
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Tunnel_D

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Key word being "secret' and 'confidentiality' and you are forgetting major lawsuits and stuff. Even drawing it from memory will get you in trouble.
 

FRS-Man

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I know they do secret focus groups for new cars all the time and things sometimes get leaked. Does toyota do this in the states or in Japan?

The have been a few cars where a lot of stuff gets leaked from it. They sign confidentiality forms and all but that doesn't really stop people from describing the car or sketching it from memory... ya think we'll see anything like this for FT1/Supra?
Nothing like this happened for the FR-S if I remember correctly.... if that's any indication. But hey Toyota sign me up! :) I'm a FR-S owner and can give feedback on your latest sports car.
 
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MATT

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Nothing like this happened for the FR-S if I remember correctly.... if that's any indication. But hey Toyota sign me up! :) I'm a FR-S owner and can give feedback on your latest sports car.
It seems like Toyota has been really focusing on people's reactions to this concept to make key decisions, even more so than the FR-S. It could just be me reading into it but just from Akio's statements it sounds like it.

Wishful thinking but I know some companies really like to use consumer research groups. :dunno:
 

PanMD

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Seems like they've been showing it at most autoshows for over a year now so they should have plenty of reaction to gauge from. Time to give an update or announce production Toyota.
 

black-supra

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I remember when Mazda did the focus group surveys for the new Miata, and people were "leaking" details to the public.
 

Scino

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Nothing like this happened for the FR-S if I remember correctly.... if that's any indication. But hey Toyota sign me up! :) I'm a FR-S owner and can give feedback on your latest sports car.
I was on ft86club since early 2010 after they introduced FT-86 concept at Tokyo. I never get to buy one because it didn't meet my expectation "No turbo, obviously". Some of the early members were in focus group for 86 in California, and first question was "Would you buy one if it was a Scion?", Majority votes yes :/ . I know some of European members were in the focus group as well. I would imagine they do that all over the world.
 

TorqueRules

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They don't need a focus group for the Supra, they just need to build it. The name itself will carry enough weight. For the 86, it was a totally new car. I also don't think they need a survey just to tell them just about everyone wants a turbo 6 or a V8.
 

Scino

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They don't need a focus group for the Supra, they just need to build it. The name itself will carry enough weight. For the 86, it was a totally new car. I also don't think they need a survey just to tell them just about everyone wants a turbo 6 or a V8.
FR-S is the modern day AE86, if you know what it is...
Focus group is just marketing bullsh*t. Engineering wouldn't care about this stuff, just some marketing people who think it's important and keep wasting company's money. They don't even invite real enthusiasts most of the time.
 

From a Dig

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Look at this interview with the Ford GT designer. He says they didn't even bother doing market research with the car - "we were just going to build it."

http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthew...-came-about-and-why-it-looks-the-way-it-does/

Badass attitude and wish more companies would do that with their sports cars.

Market research isn't bad per se but I'm sure there's been plenty of cars that had market research done but still ended up sales flops.
 

dsubrosa

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Unfortunately engineers don't control the purse strings. Luckily Toyota is in a good financial position. Look at Nissan, the first programs that nixed are the exciting enthusiast cars (like the IDx) that are a gamble compared to dull grocery getters that sell to the masses.
 

black-supra

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Unfortunately engineers don't control the purse strings. Luckily Toyota is in a good financial position. Look at Nissan, the first programs that nixed are the exciting enthusiast cars (like the IDx) that are a gamble compared to dull grocery getters that sell to the masses.
Nissan broke their own record for US sales last year so they're not exactly doing poorly. I think a lot of the decision behind making enthusiast type cars or not is the personnel that is at the company. Nissan recently lost Andy Palmer, their Chief Product Planner and a huge proponent of the IDX. Once he left it seems Nissan lost its balls to make the car. Luckily Toyota has Toyoda at the controls!
 

FXuser

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Yea if not for Akio Toyoda being such a big proponent of the car and a big enthusiast himself who knows if we'd be talking about the FT-1 or next Supra right now.
 

910ps

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Yea if not for Akio Toyoda being such a big proponent of the car and a big enthusiast himself who knows if we'd be talking about the FT-1 or next Supra right now.
Yeah no better backing for a car than the CEO of the company :) Hope he's chomping at the bit for this car as much as everyone of us here. Might help bring the car to market faster :)
 
 




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