On the topic of Tada-San didnt he originally wanted to the MK5 to a mid engined car? If this is a preview of the next Supra then I guess he got what he wanted.I know that Tada-San theorized that the next Supra could even go autonomous but⊠I flat out fail to understand the appeal of a Supra that fully or even partially does any of the driving for you, apart from common and basic traction control aids, stability control aids and ABS braking.
Whatâs the point of a sports car that you donât drive yourselfâŠ? What does the non-conscious and not self-aware self-driving sports car get out of being a sports car moving around like a sports carâŠ? It doesnât think, it doesnât have dreams, aspirations or emotions. It doesnât have a self-driven deep seated life need to challenge its own limits and develop its skill the way a human being does. Itâs just a machine. It is the human operator element that makes the experience of driving a sports car special.
I still think this concept is likely to be more MR2 or even just future EV sportscar design study than it is Supra.
The Lexus sports car EV concept with the long hood and short rear is what looks far more like a Supra than this thing does.
I believe you are correct. But (my speculation) Akio Toyoda at the time probably pushed him more in the direction of the long hood, front engine I-6 rear-drive layout as a fan of the previous Supra.On the topic of Tada-San didnt he originally wanted to the MK5 to a mid engined car? If this is a preview of the next Supra then I guess he got what he wanted.
Toyota: NĂŒrburgring lap a target for FT-Se, electric Porsche Cayman a rival
Toyota confirms the âRing is a key metric for its upcoming battery electric two-seater
âVery important.â Thatâs the language used by Toyota when describing one of the key battlegrounds for its incoming battery electric two-seat sportscar dubbed FT-Se. Yep, itâs the NĂŒrburgring.
Outside the challenges of engineering a powerful electric sportscar with next-generation batteries, Toyota told TopGear.com that a good NĂŒrburgring lap time was indeed, âvery importantâ. The carâs chief engineer Fumihiko Hazama said: âThe Nordschleife is our target for this vehicle.
âUnfortunately, I canât tell you what our target lap time is, but weâll be taking a prototype to the NĂŒrburgring in the future.â
Keeping the battery temps low while itâs out there on a high, however, will be a challenge. He points to the FT-Seâs massive air intakes up front, and to this âuniqueâ third-generation battery system. A system that powers a pair of electric motors â one at the front, one at the back â for all-wheel-drive. Toyotaâs engineered a rear-bias because, says Hazama-san, some customers do indeed like to drift.
âCooling the battery around the NĂŒrburgring will be very difficult,â he said. âItâs hard driving around a long course which makes the battery temperature higher. Cooling will be important for this carâs performance. For its speed.â
Speaking of which, can he tell us just how much speed is involved? âWe havenât measured the acceleration, but my estimation about the 0-62mph is around three seconds. Top speed is estimated around 250kmh (155mph).â
He wonât tell us what target weight the FT-Se is aiming for, only confirming that these new batteries are lighter than the current generation. The body will of course be composed of a mix of aluminium, steel and carbon fibre reinforced plastic. âThe challenge is to make it light and stiff at the same time,â said Hazama-san.
Aiding the FT-Se on its electric adventure around the âRing will be a fair bit of aero, too. The nature of the carâs powertrain â batteries mounted nice and low in the centre of the car â and a lack of associated ICE gubbins like an exhaust running along the bottom means the floor is flat. âYou can fit a big diffuser. A lot of the downforce comes from the floor.â
And where will its rivals come from? âThe next-generation Porsche Cayman will be an electric vehicle, so maybe that will be one of our targets,â Hazama-san noted. Porsche vs Toyota around the âRing in a battle for electric honours? Very important indeed.
well based off that article i guess that puts this debate to rest then
this is a good read!