Hardly the most attractive car on display at the Tokyo Auto Salon, the TES Concept T-Sports might be one of the most exciting for regular folks in search of an affordable sports car.
Since the first introduction of
Toyota‘s FT-86 Concept, rumors have surfaced that the cost of development of the car has risen and that consumers will have to carry that burden by paying more for the vehicle. With Toyota’s plans for an affordable sports car in trouble, the automaker has reportedly been planning a more entry-level version of the car.
No one at Toyota is saying as much, but the TES Concept T-Sports might just be the answer. While about as pretty as Snookie, unlike the reality star, it’s what’s underneath that counts. You see, this early prototype was built by the Toyota Engineering Society (TES) in response to a questionnaire that asked what sort of vehicles they thought Toyota needed to build. The answer: an affordable sports car. And like the FT-86 it’s front-engine, rear-wheel drive.
Powered by Toyota’s 1.3-liter 4-cylinder engine this concept makes 109-hp, but weighs under 2,000 lbs (907kg). The car is 150-inches long and 65-inches wide, making it just over a foot shorter in length than the FT-86.
Toyota isn’t commenting, but this concept certainly hints at the fact that engineers are studying plans for a baby FT-86.
