The Northern Rivers Times
38
November 2, 2023
MOTORING NEWS
TOKYO MOTOR SHOW UNVEILS THE TOYOTA FT-SE ELECTRIC SPORTS CAR By Jeff Gibbs Unveiled at the 2023 Tokyo Mobility Show, the Toyota FT-Se represents an electric sports car concept aimed at providing a glimpse of “one of the options for sports cars in the carbonneutral era,” as per the Japanese automaker. While specific technical details are scant, it’s known to share essential components with the Toyota FT-3e SUV concept revealed simultaneously. The FT-Se is said to leverage the expertise gleaned from Toyota Gazoo Racing’s motorsport endeavours, including its hybrid participation in the World Rally Championship and World Endurance Championship. Originally believed to hint at an all-electric replacement for the Toyota Supra, the FT-Se’s proportions
and positioning lend credence to Toyota President Koji Sato’s aspirations of resurrecting the Celica. Its sleek bodywork also aligns well with an MR2 badge. With Toyota’s recent revival of iconic nameplates like the 86 and Supra, the idea of bringing back other cherished models from
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its catalogue makes sense, particularly as the company has filed trademark applications to
a low-slung design that promises a favourable centre of gravity for enhanced handling.
Is this what we’re witnessing here, with the Toyota president expressing his desire to resurrect the Celica? protect the Celica name. The FT-Se, whatever its ultimate destiny, boasts a battery powertrain and
The electric motor or motors offer impressive performance, and the car is designed to
“evolve alongside the driver through software updates.” Inside, the fully digital cockpit places the instrument display low to enhance visibility, and kneepads are integrated to assist the driver in maintaining their position during high-g force manoeuvres. While the FT-Se offers a preview of
an all-electric sports car, Toyota Australia’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Sean Hanley, emphasizes that the brand remains committed to a multipathway approach toward achieving carbon neutrality. Hanley notes that the FT-Se is a high-performance sports battery-electric model, representing just one of the choices in the carbon-neutral sports car landscape, and it leverages the expertise gained through Toyota Gazoo Racing’s efforts to improve cars through motorsport. Toyota’s broader strategy entails electrifying all its models by 2030, with the exception of Gazoo Racing cars, indicating an intention to sustain combustion engines through means like synthetic fuels or hydrogen.
Sneak Peek at the Honda Prelude EV By Jeff Gibbs A production-ready electric concept has given us a glimpse of the revival of the Honda Prelude. The iconic coupe is poised to make a return in the form of a stylish electric coupe, showcased today in Japan. During his address at the Japan Mobility Show, Honda’s CEO, Toshihiro Mibe, emphasized that the Prelude coupe concept provides a glimpse into the company’s strategy of electrifying its sports models. The Prelude Concept serves as a herald for forthcoming models that will encapsulate the “joy of driving” in an electrified format, staying true to Honda’s legacy as a sporting brand. Amidst discussions about Honda’s current
and future mobility
the introduction of
products, the Prelude
sportier models in its
Concept took centre
electric line-up.
stage as a distinctive
Mibe emphasized
“We encourage you to maintain high expectations for this model.” sports model. This
that employing the
concept’s unveiling
Prelude badge isn’t
was part of a broader
merely an exploitation
program in which Honda
of a renowned name but
detailed its electrification
rather serves as a true
plans, considering the
prelude to the unveiling
anticipation surrounding
of several sporting EVs
in the months and years ahead. He stated, “The Prelude Concept is a specialized sports model designed to offer an exhilarating experience that compels you to keep going, delivering extraordinary excitement like never before.” Now the question remains – will this new Prelude make its way to Australia, or will it be another electric Honda that remains out of reach for us Down Under?
