Toyota MR2 is reborn as a futuristic electric coupe codenamed FT-Se

Electricity meets excitement in Toyota's future GR sports car for motorheads.

The Toyota FT-Se is a pure two-seater BEV (battery electric vehicle) which takes full advantage of its low-down, probably centrally-mounted battery pack to create a low-slung body with low drag and a suitably low centre of gravity.

The styling looks aerodynamic and futuristic, with katana-sharp bodywork (check out that "baby hypercar" nose), dramatic design details (such as the wispy wind mirrors) and striking exterior lighting elements, but everything appears to be closer to reality than fantasy, so it is not far-fetched to imagine the FT-Se running on roads and tracks as a production model in the near future when EVs overtake ICE cars once and for all.

The cockpit is a radical place, with a racy steering yoke instead of a wheel, a pair of smartphone-style displays flanking the steering, and a "phablet" instrument panel straight ahead. Almost all the controls are digital, naturally, but there are physical switches for the hazard lights, indicators, wipers and whatnot.    

Honeycomb kneepads for the driver and co-driver provide greater body support during cornering, which is likely to be hard, fast and flat-out in the FT-Se. The blue sports seats are supportive and clad in performance fabric, but the headroom might be tight for taller GR racers, especially if they need to wear racing helmets for motorsports.

The FT-Se is also equipped with Arene, Toyota's new-generation software platform. Operating-system updates would enable the driving machine to evolve over time for a sportier or easier driving experience, while a variety of apps would provide different ways to enjoy or customise the car. Toyota calls this "playing with the automotive seasoning", which sounds like a tasty way to make the FT-Se more delectable for different drivers.    

Toyota describes the FT-Se as a high-performance sports BEV for the carbon-neutral era. Fuel-powered petrolheads making the transition to electric motorheads will be glad to have electricity meet excitement in Toyota's future GR sports car.

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This article was first published in Motorist.