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Toyota FT-1 Concept presents a future we want to live in [w/videos]

Toyota has brought its A game to the 2014 Detroit Auto Show, showing off the striking FT-1 Concept. Short for "Future Toyota," the FT-1 is, we're imagining, the supposed Supra Concept we reported on early in December.
Penned by the Calty Design Research team, the FT-1 draws inspirations from the FT-HS and the Lexus LF-LC concepts from 2007 and 2012, respectively. We certainly see a bit of Lexus LF-A in the design, while there's more than a hint of Formula One in the FT-1's pointed nose.
"Our team was heavily influenced by Toyota's sports car past, especially Celica and Supra, and we sought to capture some of that history. It is an aggressive, track-focused sports car concept with a presence that has been amplified for shock and awe," said Alex Shen, Calty's Studio Chief Designer.

New Toyota Supra may get a twin-turbo Lexus V6

We've heard endless rumors that a successor to the much loved and much missed Toyota Supra is in the works. Toyota hasn't done much to deny these conversations. On the contrary, the FT-1 concept from two years ago and the partnership with BMW have only fueled the fire. Now, talk of a new Lexus engine has led to speculation about the supposed Supra's powertrain. To be clear, this is mostly heresay. Few things have actually been confirmed, but based on what we know a few conclusions can be drawn. We know that BMW and Toyota are working on a joint product. We've seen mules testing out in the wild. In BMW guise, the possibly Austrian-built car will more than likely powered by turbocharged inline four and six-cylinder engines. Unless Toyota wants to use Bimmer power, they'll need to shoehorn one of their own under the hood. That leads us to this rumor of a twin-turbocharged V6 that will presumably power the new Lexus GS and LS. Japanese automotive publication Mag-X first reported on this engine. It was then picked up by YouWheel and Car Keys. Mag-X cites Toyota insiders and even gives an engine code, 943F. This engine allegedly will make more than 400 horsepower and more than 300 lb-ft of torque. While unconfirmed, this makes sense for Lexus. Nearly every luxury competitor has a six-cylinder engine with forced induction. While Toyota has previously had turbocharged inline-sixes, they've never produced a factory turbo V6. Every automaker is downsizing engines in an effort to meet fuel economy and emissions regulations. Toyota and Lexus will follow suit. Taking that V6 and tuning it for a performance application is a solid, if unverified, possibility. Related Video:

Andrew Gilleland is new VP of Scion, Murtha moves to Toyota

Scion is getting some fresh blood at the top as Andrew Gilleland (pictured above) becomes the new vice president to take over for Doug Murtha. Gilleland is no stranger to the division, and served as the national field operations manager early in the brand's launch. Murtha moves to take leadership of corporate strategy and planning for Toyota in North America. "Now it's Andrew's charge to spread the message of the style and value of the iM and iA, as well as a third new vehicle that will be added to the lineup," Toyota division group vice president Bill Fay said in the announcement. Gilleland moves up from being general manager of Toyota's central Atlantic regional office. He takes the reins at Scion at a potential turning point for the division. Sales volume for the year through August is down 22.1 percent to 32,691 vehicles, but some big changes are afoot. The long-lived xB is likely about to bow out, and the brand is launching two new products with the iM and iA. They're getting some celebrity advertising, too. Spy shots also suggest the FR-S might get a refresh soon. Plus, the third model Fay teases is expected to be a compact crossover, possibly with styling inspiration from the Toyota C-HR concept. Scion could get a big boost by having an entry in that booming segment. New Products, Previous Player - Scion Introduces New Vice President Andrew Gilleland Returns to Youth Brand September 24, 2015 TORRANCE, Calif. (Sept. 24, 2015) – In the early days of Scion, when xAs and xBs were flying out of dealers' showrooms, Andrew Gilleland was the National Field Operations Manager for the youth brand. He was responsible for working with dealers to ensure they embraced the new products and processes Scion offered. Now, Scion is entering its teen years, and Gilleland is back as Vice President of Scion, once again encouraging dealers to sell its new models and investigate new methods to attract young buyers. "Scion has sold nearly a million vehicles since I left in 2005 and I'm excited to be back leading this team," said Gilleland. "The iM 5-door hatchback and iA sports sedan arrived at dealerships earlier this month and the response has been great.