Born-again Celica? Toyota to wow Detroit

There's no mistaking the lines. Toyota's latest concept car, set to debut at the North American International Motor Show, draws more than a little inspiration from the last Celica to be sold Down Under (see pic).

The work of Toyota's design studio in Newport Beach, California, Calty Design, over the last 12 months, the Toyota FT-HS Hybrid Sports Concept is described as futuristic sportscar. Powered by a 300kW hybrid powertrain it punches a class above the Celica -- in terms of size and performance. That said, could it be a taste of things to come... A replacement Celica or indeed, Supra?

What you see hereabouts are computer generated images published first by US website Edmunds.com. The real thing is still under wraps and will not be seen until the Detroit show opens next month.

Details are also scarce, but according to web scuttlebutt, the FT-HS is a rear-wheel drive 2+2 that is claimed to deliver 0-100km/h times in the 4sec range thanks to its V6 petrol/electric hybrid drivetrain. The latter is derived from that used in the Lexus GS450h.

The FT-HS features a number of innovative touches befitting its showcar tag. The cockpit is driver-focussed introducing a concept Calty calls 'Solo Space'. The sliding roof retracts into the rear passenger area (hence the 2+2 tag) to produce a targa-style effect.

Dynamics and driving pleasure are a focus and the car is said to feature perfect 50:50 weight distribution despite the requirement to package the bulky and heavy hybrid paraphernalia.

The added 'oomph' provided by the electrical part of the powertrain has been likened to the performance boost delivered by nitrous oxide injection on a high-performance petrol-only powerplant.

Look out for more on Toyota's FT-HS and other showcars on CarPoint as the Detroit show gets closer to its January media day and grand opening.