Toyota FT-86

The return of the Toyota sports car moved a step closer when the firm revealed the FT-86 II concept, our first look at the car that will become a production reality in 2012.

The rear-wheel drive coupe will look very similar to this menacing black machine, with the aiming of attracting back customers who remember sports cars like the Supra, Celica and MR2.

Powered by a two-litre boxer engine developed with Subaru – which also showed its own version of the FT-86 – the car will be seen in production form at the Tokyo show this year, with sales starting next year.

Toyota hasn’t released a price, but the firm is known to be anxious not to alienate its mainstream customers.

Toyota FT-Bh

Toyota is exploring how far it can push the boundaries of fuel efficiency with a car that previews the next-generation Yaris. 

The company has revealed the FT-Bh concept, and advanced vehicles project manager Koji Makino told: “I hate exotic materials. Do you buy your Yaris or Aygo in carbon fibre? No: these materials make cars too expensive.”

Extremely low weight, great aerodynamics and a hybrid engine allow this four-seater to claim 134.5mpg and 49g/km CO2 emissions. Add plug-in capability and the CO2 figure drops to only 19g/km.

The production FT-Bh has a proposed retail price of £15,000 and will be made of steel. The target weight is 768kg – that’s 270kg less than a Yaris – and the 1.0-litre, two-cylinder petrol engine weighs only 60kg.

The engine drives a compact version of the new Yaris hybrid’s petrol-electric system, but with an advanced lithium-ion battery. The aerodynamic body has a drag coefficient of 0.235. Cameras replace the mirrors, there are no regular door handles, plus the car has small, efficient air intakes and an aerodynamic rear undertray.

Inside, the FT-Bh is heavily insulated to reduce the energy required to heat up and cool down the cabin. Half the trim is made of plant materials, while the other half is man-made. “Less interior, less thermal capacity, so less to heat up and cool down,” said Makino.

Heat management is a key part of the FT-Bh’s technology. It maintains cabin temperatures with heat-reflective glass and matt white heat-reflective paint.

Even the dashboard is minimised to reduce weight and electricity consumption: it uses an LED-style display made of electrically conductive paper. “As we can’t reduce the weight of the driver, we have to reduce the weight of everything else,” added Makino.

Subaru BRZ

Subaru has finally given us the first glimpse of how its rear-wheel-drive BRZ sports car is shaping up with the BRZ Concept STi, which was revealed at the Los Angeles Motor Show.

The new model is part of a tie-up with Toyota and shares many of its components with the upcoming FT-86. Much of the chassis was engineered by Subaru –  along with the 2.0-litre flat-four Boxer engine – but Toyota's fuel-saving direct injection system will also feature.

Leaked specs reveal that Toyota's model will boast 197bhp – and although there are rumours that the Subaru BRZ could have around 250bhp, company sources wouldn't confirm this.

Visually, the two models boast a very similar profile, but Subaru will differentiate the BRZ from its Toyota sibling with a more aggressive bodykit and Subaru's family face. Every body panel on the BRZ concept will change slightly for production, although the car will look pretty much identical to the one you see here.

Company sources are keen to point out that the BRZ is very lightweight - it's expected to tip the scales at around 1,150kg – and despite a relatively modest power output, it should do 0-60mph in less than seven seconds with a top speed of 140mph.