Toyota FT-86 II (2011) first official picture

By Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

27 January 2011 10:09

Toyota will show a second-gen FT-86 II at the 2011 Geneva motor show. It's unusual to 'facelift' a concept car, but Toyota has form with the much-revised Lexus LF-A concept car which donned more clothes than a model sashaying down the catwalk during its long gestation.

The FT-86 II is essentially be a much closer to production look at Toyota's new sports car.

There's been an unhealthy lag since the demise of the Celica and Supra, which have no doubt contributed to Toyota's lacklustre, sensible image. But the new management are keen to put that right and cars like the FT-86 seem just the tool to spice up Toyota's white-goods image.

What do we know about the new Toyota FT-86 II?

Precisely nothing! This solitary teaser image was released this morning, accompanied by this brief paragraph:

'A new evolution of the Toyota FT-86 sports concept vehicle is set to make its world premiere at the 2011 Geneva motor show. The Toyota FT-86 II builds on the original concept and will give the clearest indication yet of the final design for Toyota's next sports car. Toyotaâ€™s sports car history goes back more than 50 years and this new concept embodies the company's reborn passion for sports car driving.'

Our sources suggest it will refine the first FT-86 concept, so we can expect the more far-flung concept details to be dispatched to the giant designer dustbin in the sky.

That sadly almost certainly spells the end for some of the more outlandish details that excited many of the CAR Online community. We can't really see them keeping the zip-up dashboard of the original FT-86 concept car, can you?