Toyota building an electric Evora? FT-Se MR EV sports car

[Eagle7]

I think this thing looks hideous. The style lines are very incongruous. Looks like a Transformer Robot fan on shrooms came up with the design.

I'd be far more interested in the Mazda RX7 concept Mazda just showed in Japan. It's a hybrid; an electric car with a small 2 rotor rotary engine to charge the batteries. It can run on either electric or gas. It weighs 3,200 lbs and has 365 hp. No price given, but it's just gorgeous looking. It even has pop-up headlights.

 

[TomE]

I wish Infiniti had gone ahead and taken the Evora-based Emerg-e hybrid into production. They had running prototypes at Goodwood Festival of Speed about 10 years ago and I had my name on the waiting list.

Infiniti Emerg-e prototype driven | Evo

The Infiniti Emerg-e has evolved into a meaningful and fully driveable prototype. evo drives it

www.evo.co.uk

 

[seriously]

Is this a new golden age of EV sports cars?

We might have a new EV MR2, Rx-7, GTR and also a cayman.

If automakers figure out how to make them fun to drive and manage heat on a track this could be really attractive.

The 90s sports cars were great because of the competition. They pushed each other to make better cars until there wasn’t really a market for them. But as a result we got some great cars that are still in demand today. This could be a rebirth of that cycle.

This is also why the emira needs to get on with it. It’s already out of date. When any new electric sports car (cayman?) comes out it risks being so good that people lose interest in ICE sports cars. Then the emira ironically will become just like all the other lotus cars - niche - for a very small group of buyers.

I’m impressed with the styling of some of these cars. The GTR is too much but has some really cool features like a seat that is integrated with the car. The seat is the floor of the car and the backrest slides. I actually like the Toyota concept styling- especially the front and rear views. These cars are giving me tron vibes in a good way. They are also introducing a design language that (if successful as a class of cars) will make current ICE cars look dated - even beautiful ones like the emira and Ferrari designs.

I’m excited not about any one car, but this trend of electric sports cars. Still skeptical but intrigued and hopeful.

 

[EyeFour Eemeerah!]

This……

 

[Davebeats]

Toyota has been making a lot of noise with their solid state battery’s potential, I’d be curious to see what kind of battery is planned for this MR2.

 

[Robbierob]

Nice looking car, but….
1) Still a concept, will not come as it was presented
2) It will come in some years, lets wait and enjoy the Emira

 

[JimH]

Nice looking car, but….
1) Still a concept, will not come as it was presented
2) It will come in some years, lets wait and enjoy the Emira

3. Lotus Type 135 (electric sports car) will be the direct competitor for this - Hethel-built in a new factory unit/production line also being built soon (along with new logistics and office buildings) on the Hethel site.

Lotus reveals pioneering blueprint for next generation electric sports cars - Lotus Cars Media Site

media.lotuscars.com

 

[JimH]

I'll just leave this here (Lotus Type 135 to be Hethel-built in a new factory unit on site):

Lotus reveals pioneering blueprint for next generation electric sports cars - Lotus Cars Media Site

media.lotuscars.com

 

[benjh1028]

Yeah... I'll admit I saw the resemblance on the roof and rear quarters at that angle too (even before you posted the actual Evora pic). I think it looks pretty cool, and I hope they push it through to production.

I think the orange color adds to the Evora appearance as it seemed pretty popular on that car.

 

[Gprodigy]

Toyota concepts vs reality.

4. plus V6 manual is more fun than electric

 

[Climber]

Toyota concepts vs reality.

4. plus V6 manual is more fun than electric

Huge difference the concept looks fantastic, the reality looks disappointing.. it’s amazing what subtle differences make.

 

[Nova]

The front and back of this thing look hideous. It's the same overwrought design style that Asian manufacturers seem to struggle with when left to their own devices. Even some of the old classics known for their good looks were copies of Western brands. This is why Hyundai simply went straight with Western designers for their cars.

 

[eriegz]

This design seems to get it wrong in the same way that the new NSX design got it wrong.

 

[Tokion]

I think this thing looks hideous. The style lines are very incongruous. Looks like a Transformer Robot fan on shrooms came up with the design.

I'd be far more interested in the Mazda RX7 concept Mazda just showed in Japan. It's a hybrid; an electric car with a small 2 rotor rotary engine to charge the batteries. It can run on either electric or gas. It weighs 3,200 lbs and has 365 hp. No price given, but it's just gorgeous looking. It even has pop-up headlights.

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Hi Eagle7
Great that you post about Mazda. I am living in Tokyo (for 43 years and counting) and I bought 3 new RX-7 rotary engined cars, FC-3S and the last an FD-3S. I will be going to the Tokyo Mobility Show next week and will check the RX7 concept you presented.

However, I from studying the photos, I do not think this concept car has “pop-up headlights” (which are outlawed). I will make it a point to quiz the Mazda staff about this. I speak Japanese and I have also visited the main Mazda factory in Hiroshima in the past.

Anyhow, thanks for posting info about this great concept rotary-wankel model.

STOP PRESS:
I just saw the following video that indeed does call the headlights “pop-up”, and you can see how they work, they are not full “pop-ups” like in the past, but rather like “eyelashes”. You can also see that the call the doors “gullwing”, while they are hinged at an angle along the front, and not along the top like true “gullwing doors”. So clearly they are taking a few “liberties”. Nevertheless it is a good looking car. As a true rotary wankel enthusiast, it is hard to swallow that the rotary engine will only be used for charging the internal batteries, and that the car itself are propelled by electric motors (meaning that it is a hybrid). So for sure such a car would only have a very limited impact in a few markets.

It becomes clear why this car is a ‘concept’ and not (yet) a shipping model. The biggest problem with electric cars is of course the heavy weight versus limited range (if the battery is small). We have seen this play out in another Mazda model that recently also got a rotary battery charging engine. But the range is still at bare minimum.

 

[EyeFour Eemeerah!]

Whatever the Japanese car manufacturers wind up producing, it will be thought through, manufactured impeccably, and most likely be produced and released ON TIME, if not early!! They won’t tolerate cars dying because they got damp. Won’t tolerate paint peeling off of body panels. Won’t tolerate cars being cited with delivery dates without so much as a PDI.
All the cheerleaders for Lotus of course will be naysayers and denyers, and taut how Lotus is small production and driver focused. All these cars from Mazda, the MR2, etc. all gobble up the potential buyers of the Emira. And do so for MUCH LESS MONEY!!

 

[EyeFour Eemeerah!]

Nice looking car, but….
1) Still a concept, will not come as it was presented
2) It will come in some years, lets wait and enjoy the Emira

It will probably hit the U.S. at the same time as the Emira! A 2026 will ship, Globally, most likely Sept/Oct 2025. An awesome homage to the MR2 of yore!

 

[EyeFour Eemeerah!]

This is confusingly close in design to an Evora. Maybe this is the fruit of some kind of cooperative between the companies?

The Toyota FT-Se is a stunning two-seat electric sportscar concept

Just don’t call it an MR2, mmkay? Radical new lightweight set to appear very soon

www.topgear.com

Were it Lotus, they would screw it up though! If you want an Evora, just get an Emira which is an Evora in a Fat suit.

 

[EyeFour Eemeerah!]

It's to scoop up small children to put to work in the cobalt mines!

That would be China.

 

[seriously]

Toyota concepts vs reality.

4. plus V6 manual is more fun than electric

Rarely does the production car meet concept expectations. I would say the Supra doesn’t look too bad but the front end of the concept was so much better. I fear the mr2 front end will also not make production- it looks low and sharp- that must fail some kind of cut humans in half test.

 

[Nova]

Rarely does the production car meet concept expectations. I would say the Supra doesn’t look too bad but the front end of the concept was so much better. I fear the mr2 front end will also not make production- it looks low and sharp- that must fail some kind of cut humans in half test.

Yea, the Supra's front end went from hammerhead to catfish.