Toyota is planning a head-on rival to the MX-5 and if the looks of the S-FR concept car are anything to go by, it's going to be as charmingly retro as the two-seat Mazda. It'll be shown off at the Tokyo Motor Show.
We don't know yet what lies beneath the S-FR's cutesy bodywork, but Toyota says that it's rear drive so it's ether going to be a cut-down GT86 platform, or potentially part of the chassis-and-engined sharing agreement between Toyota and BMW. A 1.5-litre petrol engine has been spoken of as the power plant, so that's likely to be the 120hp there-cylinder turbo taken from the current MINI Cooper.
Toyota's official release says that: "the new concept emphasizes responsiveness, and aims to make a whole new generation fall in love with driving." In concept form it's a coupe, but a convertible version looks like an obvious extension and there's more than a hint of Toyota's famous (but sadly short-lived) 2000GT about the styling.
It's also highly likely that, thanks to that sharing agreement with BMW, the mechanical package of the S-FR will eventually find its way under a German-built car or two. BMW is keen to make an affordable entry-level roadster, possibly badged as Z2, to take the position once held by the most affordable versions of the old four-cylinder Z3. It's also possible that the car could be used as the basis for the MINI Superlegerra roadster.
This being the Tokyo show, we're not just talking about one car on the Toyota stand. The new Prius is making its Japanese market debut at the show, and while we're still waiting for technical details, Toyota is promising "a huge boost in fuel economy." The C-HR concept, seen recently in Frankfurt, will also make an appearance and continues to be a definite nod in the direction of Toyota's forthcoming Qashqai rival.
There are also a couple of whacky concepts. The FCV Plus is an almost-see-though hydrogen fuel cell car (more of a pod, than anything), which Toyota says is a look ahead to a world where hydrogen is produced cheaply from sustainable resources, and says that the car's "fuel cell stack can be reused as an electricity generating device, transcending the traditional functions of cars. Put to versatile uses around the world, these stacks could contribute significantly to local communities."
Then there's the Kikai concept and while it couldn't be further from a production reality, we really, really wish it was going on sale. Toyota says that it "takes the machinery, normally hidden beneath the vehicle body, and makes an open display of its beauty. Directly expressed in this way, the vehicle's inner workings become part of the exterior. In addition to the carefully designed form, continued into details including the fuel tank, reserve tank, and exhaust pipes, the analog-style meters and switches offer an engaging dialog with the machinery." In other words, it's a stripped-down, lightweight sports car/dune buggy that mixes and matches influences as diverse as the Caterham 7, Ariel Atom, Baja Buggies and classic thirties custom hot rods. It even has a central driving position. It's also wonderfully cool.