Tokyo 2015: Koichi Matsumoto introduces the Toyota S-FR, my car of the show
Toyota S-FR is a little gem of a sports car works inside and out
It’s refreshing to be able to speak to the actually designer of a car from a large Japanese manufacturer – certainly this would not have been possible before Tukuo Fukuichi’s time as head of design for Toyota.
In fact the S-FR would probably not have been possible before his tenure. Many, including us, have criticised Toyota’s designs on occasion but, recently, its creations have certainly never been dull.
But this little sports car goes one better but not only being interesting but also very good indeed.
There’s none of the, frankly, weird nature of the Mirai or new Prius – in many ways it’s a very classical small sports car, yet its execution is totally contemporary. A nicely handled balance between a 1960s British sports car and a new Japanese one.
Koichi Matsumoto, group design manager and project leader clearly had the good fortune to be able to design around a very good package with a long hood, cab-rearward proportions but, unlike the larger GT-86 for example, it doesn’t disappoint in its details or surface resolution.
Perhaps the only criticism of its exterior is that its gaping mouth is a little too dominant although its expression is endearing. “Because it’s an entry-level car we wanted to create something that is affordable,” says Matsumoto. “So yes it’s cute but being cute is not enough which is why we used the hood surface to cut off the corner of its eyes.”
Pull open the door and it’s great to see that that vibrant lime colour flows inside, partially covered by material. “The material used on the doors is actually the same as that in the trunk lining, but it looks a bit cheap as it is so that we introduced the hexagon pattern to make it more sophisticated,” he says.
It’s a great place to sit too – clean, minimalist but not too basic and with a great view of that volumious hood. It even feels surprisingly spacious and has a pair of (small) rear seats.
But perhaps the most encouraging aspect is that this is clearly a production-ready interior, from the grains of its plastics right down to its secondary switchgear.
For me, the star of the show.