Toyota Unveils an All-Electric Sports Car Concept That Could Rival the Porsche Cayman

Tokyo Gazoo Racing is ready to go all-electric.

The auto giant’s motorsports division brought an exciting battery-powered concept called the FT-Se to this year’s Japan Mobility Show. And it sounds like the EV, which has reminded more than a few people of the MR2, could be headed for production.

The futuristic sports car’s compact size and proportions are why so many view it as a spiritual successor to the beloved two-seater built between the 1980s and early 2000s, even if Toyota says the two vehicles are unrelated. The low-slung concept may not pack an ICE powertrain, but its sculpted metallic orange body and black bubble cockpit give it the look of a mid-engine speed machine.

Open its doors, you’ll find a stripped-down layout with a driver’s cockpit that looks like it was taken directly from an arcade cabinet. There is also a racing-style steering wheel, digital gauge cluster (but no massive infotainment system), and lots of GR branding.

Toyota didn’t say much about the FT-Se’s mechanical hardware initially but has since revealed some enticing tidbits to Top Gear. The powertrain will include two electric motors—one positioned on the front axle, the other on the rear—and a “unique” third-generation battery pack, according to the vehicle’s chief engineer, Fumihiko Hazama. The pair of motors will give the car all-wheel drive, but it will also have a rear-bias for those in case you want to drift. The engineer estimated the EV would be able to hit 62 mph in roughly three seconds and top out at around 155 mph.

The automaker views the next-generation Porsche 718 Cayman, which will also be an EV, as the FT-Se’s competition. That could be why Toyota plans to eventually take a prototype of the sports car to the Nürburgring for testing, although there’s plenty of work to be done before that can happen. After that, the next stage step will be going into production, according to Inside EVs. Toyota hasn’t officially announced plans to start selling the car, but GR Design Group project manager Hideaki Iida told the website that the company could start building the car “after 2026.”

Click here for more photos of the Toyota FT-Se concept.