Eric Leong�s Radical 2015 Toyota Prius Design Study

As part of last year�s Toyota Design Internship, industrial designer Eric Leong produced this interesting take on the fourth-generation Toyota Prius for the year 2015.
By acknowledging that wind resistance is one of the key factors in improving vehicle economy, Leong�s Prius III hybrid is extremely slippery. Described by the designer as moving, �through [the wind], not into it�, this design study channels air over its surface through a series of vanes.

Poll: What�s Your Favourite Toyota FT-86 Concept?

Toyota�s FT-86 sports coupe has to be one of the most hotly anticipated cars of the last ten years. A sporty, lightweight, front-engined and rear-wheel-drive spiritual successor to the legendary AE86, brought to you by the same company that built the Celica, MR2 and Supra? Yes, please!

So far, we�ve had three iterations of the �AE86 Nouveau�. First, there�s the original, scene stealing Toyota FT-86 Concept from the2009 Tokyo Motor Show. Then there�s the much derided FT-86 II Concept from Geneva 2011. And lastly, there�s the Ferrari-emulating Scion FR-S that took the 2011 New York Auto Show by storm.

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VIDEO: Scion Walks us Around the New FR-S Sports Coupe Concept

Toyota�s North American subsidiary, Scion, surprised us today at the opening of the 2011 New York Auto Show with the world premiere of its new FR-S sports coupe concept. We say �surprised� not because we weren�t expecting a Scion-badged Toyota FT-86 to make its appearance in the Big Apple, but because of its refined design that made us forget about the FT-86 II concept we saw less than two months ago at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. Read more �

2011 NYIAS: New Scion FR-S Concept Brings Sexy Back to the FT-86

The most hotly anticipated model of the New York Auto Show, Scion�s version of the Toyota FT-86 sports coupe concept, finally made its world premiere today. The study is named FR-S, which stands for �Front-Engine, Rear-wheel drive, Sport�, though we prefer the definition given by Jack Hollis, Scion vice president, during the New York Show presentation.

�FR-S stands for Front-engine� Rear-wheel drive� Sport. Pretty simple. I personally believe it should stand for Friggin� Really Sweet� but the legal department at Toyota was NOT feeling the same way,� said Hollis.

The first thing most readers will notice about the FR-S is the refined design compared to the latest concept version of the Toyota FT-86, shown in Geneva this past March. Though it�s hard to pinpoint all the changes without having the cars side by side, the photos reveal a tweaked front end with revamped headlamps and a different bumper design without the aftermarket like add-on LED strips.

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