Interview with Tetsuya Tada - Chief Engineer of the FT-86

[pastuch]

Originally Posted by Jordo!

That's an attitude that will alienate many, many people who would otherwise buy this car. Toyota's crosshairs are aligned on their foot with that approach.

The requirement that three pedals are needed in order to enjoy driving or be proper car enthusaist is a completely subjective opinion.

Paddle shifters and trick modern transmissions can be incredibly sporty and engaging.

F1 cars, virtually all super cars, the GT-R, and the surprisingly brilliant 7-speed on the new 370 Z, which shifts faster than a manual stock and can be tuned to shift even faster are all good examples.

A refined version of the last gen MR-S trans might also have qualified, but it's off the table apparently.

Speaking of the joy of driving, I wonder if heel-toers will also bristle at the thought of a syncho-revmatch feature being included? An automatic throttle blip? Sacrilege!

If only it had a crank in the front to start it.


I'd certainly be happy with that.

To me driving a sports car has nothing to do with numbers or technology. I hate airbags, stability control, power everything and all the other BS that increases cost, weight and reduces reliability. I'm an extreme skier so safety isn't high on my priorities either.

I enjoy driving a 1990 Miata or a 1993 MR2 FAR more than my G35 Coupe. I've driven the G35, 350z, 370z, WRXs, RX8 and Genesis Coupe: In every case I was disappointed! The beauty of driving an ultra lightweight car with no electronic BS and a killer manual transmission is that you feel like your in a go-cart! Every time I'm in the Miata I feel like I'm doing 80 but I'm not breaking 50 and that puts a giant smile on my face until some asshole in a Rustang makes fun of me for driving a girls car.

I've been saying it since 1990: I want a Mans Miata. The FR-S fits that description VERY well so far. Driving a 1994 RHD RX7 FD is one of the most fun driving experiences I've ever had. The FR-S matches the dimensions and likely the weight of an RX7 almost exactly without the hassle of a Rotary.

Kudos to Hyundai for building the Genesis Coupe. The Base 2.0T is a hell of a car for the money and it's bloody beautiful. I just wish it weighed about 200 pounds less and was a little smaller. Too bad about the 2013 refresh....

[Spaceywilly]

Originally Posted by pastuch

Thr beauty of driving an ultra lightweight car with no electronic BS and a killer manual transmission is that you feel like you're in a go-cart!

This. Right here. This is what I want this car to be.

[dominican]

Originally Posted by pastuch

To me driving a sports car has nothing to do with numbers or technology. I hate airbags, stability control, power everything and all the other BS that increases cost, weight and reduces reliability. I'm an extreme skier so safety isn't high on my priorities either.

I enjoy driving a 1990 Miata or a 1993 MR2 FAR more than my G35 Coupe. I've driven the G35, 350z, 370z, WRXs, RX8 and Genesis Coupe: In every case I was disappointed! The beauty of driving an ultra lightweight car with no electronic BS and a killer manual transmission is that you feel like your in a go-cart! Every time I'm in the Miata I feel like I'm doing 80 but I'm not breaking 50 and that puts a giant smile on my face until some asshole in a Rustang makes fun of me for driving a girls car.

I've been saying it since 1990: I want a Mans Miata. The FR-S fits that description VERY well so far. Driving a 1994 RHD RX7 FD is one of the most fun driving experiences I've ever had. The FR-S matches the dimensions and likely the weight of an RX7 almost exactly without the hassle of a Rotary.

Kudos to Hyundai for building the Genesis Coupe. The Base 2.0T is a hell of a car for the money and it's bloody beautiful. I just wish it weighed about 200 pounds less and was a little smaller. Too bad about the 2013 refresh....

You sir are spot on. I've been on the market for a new or gently used car for about 6 months now, and there are few cars that fit my needs. The S2000 does, but insurance for that thing is ridiculous! That's why I'm looking forward to the FR-S, it's going to be a 2+2, so it won't be too bad on insurance.

I drove the Genesis coupe, both the 2.0T and the 3.8, and man did that thing impress me. IT's a bit on the heavy side for me, but I was very impressed.

[Allch Chcar]

Originally Posted by Giccin

Watch me understeer and hit the side of a mountain or hit the guardrail. LOL but I can get some for you the next time my friends go. Lot of CHP there lately but nothing a radar can't fix (kinda). Do you prefer day or night shots?



Sketchy.

, I was considering making a thread of videos of in car driving( like the nub I truely am). But I wouldn't dare drive someone else's car like I would my own. So it would be a boring video even though it would probably still scare the pee out of any hapless passengers . Plus the video quality would be terrible unless I bought a video cam (640x480). Hopefully I can share some ice driving videos this winter, whee .

Originally Posted by Jordo!

That's an attitude that will alienate many, many people who would otherwise buy this car. Toyota's crosshairs are aligned on their foot with that approach.

The requirement that three pedals are needed in order to enjoy driving or be proper car enthusaist is a completely subjective opinion.

Paddle shifters and trick modern transmissions can be incredibly sporty and engaging.

F1 cars, virtually all super cars, the GT-R, and the surprisingly brilliant 7-speed on the new 370 Z, which shifts faster than a manual stock and can be tuned to shift even faster are all good examples.

A refined version of the last gen MR-S trans might also have qualified, but it's off the table apparently.

Speaking of the joy of driving, I wonder if heel-toers will also bristle at the thought of a syncho-revmatch feature being included? An automatic throttle blip? Sacrilege!

If only it had a crank in the front to start it.


I'd certainly be happy with that.

Surely Jordo but for an entry level sports car it makes it more involved to limit everything to the bare minimums to improve driver involvement. Toyota has other sports cars(all Lexus badged though) to load with computer drivings assists and hi-tech gadgets. And this car already has blown it's design budget years ago.

Plus it keeps the price down. If take anything out of the lack of automatic controls it's that there will only be one mode "sport" and the automatic will get the same MPG as the manual for once . I'm of course kidding about the last part.

The Toyota midship hybrid has the potential to have quite a few technical gadgets. But I will talk a driver's car over a performance hybrid(that removes control) any day.

[Marrk]

Originally Posted by Spaceywilly

This. Right here. This is what I want this car to be.

What he said.

[madfast]

Originally Posted by Dimman

Yeah, let's play optimistically. If by him saying it doesn't need fancy tech, hopefully for the auto guys that just means no twin clutch, and no gimmicky 'mode' buttons. No reason they won't try to make the autobox as sporty as possible, including rev matching (it's a minor programming change to the existing e-throttle). So you have PRND and maybe a gate for manual mode and paddles. So maybe there is no 'sport auto' mode which changes the response and shift points but stays auto. Everyone gets the sport response, and you either use the regular shift points, or choose your own with the paddles.

FWIW i have a "sport auto" mode on my SST evo x and its useless in the city with traffic and stoplights. it holds the gear way too long when you're just going stoplight to stoplight in traffic... and when you're cruising to a stop, it will still rev-match every downshift. these are all great features if you're actually going somewhere, doing something. but for traffic infested city driving its nigh unbearable. why go into sport mode? its more responsive, and shifts quicker.

the only solution then is to go into manual mode. for the FT, i can see why they dont want all these modes. most of them are novelties. as long as it has a robust manual mode that doesnt auto upshift at redline, and rev matches downshifts (in manual mode) then im all smiles. a bonus would be to lock up the tq converter in gears 2-6 (in manual mode at the least). all of this is easy stuff and no reason they cant do it...

[tree fingers]

Well, my car is for sale... now.

[madfast]

Originally Posted by blur

S2000 and STi did fine manual only. I don't doubt this car will as well.

sure, but imagine mustang, camaro, challenger, and corvette sales if all of them were manual only?

a sporty automatic is the best of both worlds. :happy0180:

[WingsofWar]

Originally Posted by madfast

sure, but imagine mustang, camaro, challenger, and corvette sales if all of them were manual only?

a sporty automatic is the best of both worlds. :happy0180:

Exactly...

Im all for the manual as im an enthusiast or "maniac" as the Japanese like to call us, but it would be a retarded business decision to not offer a sporty auto for the car. It doesn't even need to be a complicated transmission with bells and whistles. Just something simple and enjoyable with a manual shift mode.

[dominican]

I've driven the G37S with a sweet auto transmission, 7 speeds, very quick shifts, downshifts are awesome. Thing is, I still prefer a manual transmission in my vehicle, it's much more engaging, forces me to be active in my car, and not just mash the accelerator and wait while the computer does the thinking for me.

[OldSkoolToys]

Originally Posted by Jordo!

That's an attitude that will alienate many, many people who would otherwise buy this car. Toyota's crosshairs are aligned on their foot with that approach.

The requirement that three pedals are needed in order to enjoy driving or be proper car enthusaist is a completely subjective opinion.

Paddle shifters and trick modern transmissions can be incredibly sporty and engaging.

F1 cars, virtually all super cars, the GT-R, and the surprisingly brilliant 7-speed on the new 370 Z, which shifts faster than a manual stock and can be tuned to shift even faster are all good examples.

A refined version of the last gen MR-S trans might also have qualified, but it's off the table apparently.

Speaking of the joy of driving, I wonder if heel-toers will also bristle at the thought of a syncho-revmatch feature being included? An automatic throttle blip? Sacrilege!

If only it had a crank in the front to start it.

Your age is showing Jordo. Subconsciously you're angry that you couldn't heel-toe right now because you'd snap your ankle on the first attempt.

In any case, this debate has been beaten to death and back, then back to death, then back to back, and back to death again, and yet again. What does it matter? Voiding the car of anything highly sophisticated as such only helps to keep the MSRP low, which is right up there in importance as weight....err power, in you're regard I suppose.

Rev-matching, while we're on the topic, is not a necessity for normal drivers, and people who actually track their car have probably learned how to do (something simple, fyi) it anyways. Real drivers that track mind you. Not the guy that shows up in his zomgsupermodded WRX just to show it off for a sunday. It really is just a ????? feature on a car that only serves to make some people feel like their better drivers than they really are. Seriously, rev-matching IS NOT HARD. A little practice, a month at most, and you should have it snap down perfect in your car.

[Dimman]

^ What if you have clown feet?

[aspera]

Nekkyousha? Is that what I am? Cool. I want a T-shirt with that on it. I want an army of us wearing those shirts.

[[es vi: eks]]

Originally Posted by WingsofWar

Exactly...

Im all for the manual as im an enthusiast or "maniac" as the Japanese like to call us, but it would be a retarded business decision to not offer a sporty auto for the car. It doesn't even need to be a complicated transmission with bells and whistles. Just something simple and enjoyable with a manual shift mode.

I agree too.



Im pretty keen for lots off the extras to be removed.
But one thing I would like it to come with is cruze control for driving over long distances.
Modern cars just to easy to go over the speed limit. Limit here is 100kph. Very easy to creap up to 120+ and not even relise that.
And one thing I cant afford to do is lose my licences from speeding.