This design from Toyota's California design studio is a 'halo' sports car for Toyota and it looks absolutely gorgeous. Will they build it? They did say "FT" stands for "Future Toyota" and no one is that cruel?

While this may be far from a production design, Toyota gave us a long run of teaser cars before we eventually got the Scion FR-S. I'd say it was worth the wait.

The Toyota FT-1 was developed in Toyota's CALTY design studio as an idea 'inspired' by CEO Akio Toyoda loves.

"The FT-1 is a dream-project for a designer and car enthusiast like myself," said Alex Shen, Calty's Studio Chief Designer. "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."

Shen said the "Function Sculpting" design language is unlike anything Toyota makes right now. The pause was longish when asked if the FT-1 was going to influence future generations of Highlander in any way.

Sure, it looks a little derivative of other insane sports cars (yes, TVR comes to mind). But it's very un-Toyota and that's a good thing. They also acknowledge the 2000GT-ness of the glass area.The real news for the design is in the details, though. Toyota got the details right on the FT-1, from the lights and front treatment to the interior shape. It really looks like they tried. Again, a good thing.

All we know about the FT-1 is that it's designed as a front-engine, rear-drive sports car – unusual for Toyota, no hybrid for the concept. But if you'd like to drive it, you can download it in Gran Turismo 6 starting tomorrow.

Function Sculpting: Whatever it is, you're speaking our language. Now just make it.

"We called this design 'Supra' in presentations. There was a big debate over the name. So it's 'FT-1' now," said Calty President Kevin Hunter. "We're not ignoring that we have a history. The name itself is a different matter."

That meant the concept would be 10 percent larger than what a real-world vehicle would be, Hunter said.

Calty's starting point was to design a sports car with a theoretical $50,000-$60,000 price tag, Hunter said.

The car's tail has a "trip edge" to emphasize downforce and to enable brake cooling. The front air intakes extend all the way to the rear diffuser for ground effects and aerodynamics, while the front intake vents relieve pressure in the front wheelhouse.

Toyota doesn't make an inline-six anymore. But other automakers — BMW, for instance — still do. Hunter dismisses such theorizing. The engine could be a V-6, V-8, hybrid or some other package.

Calty's stylists deliberately tried to make the interior into something achievable, even if some of the effects seem a bit far out, said William Chergosky, Calty interior chief designer.

With the instrument panel, head-up displays are all the rage, and Calty took the FT-1 to new level. Rather than beaming the information onto the windshield, a separate screen protrudes up from the steering column. All important information is right in the line of sight.

Calty Design Research President Kevin Hunter introduces the Toyota FT-1 sports car concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Jan. 13, 2014. First devised by Calty in Sony PlayStation's Gran Turismo 6, the name FT-1 stands for "Future Toyota," and the number "1" represents the ultimate. According to its designers at Calty Design Research, the FT-1 Concept is the ultimate expression of a Toyota coupe design, building upon Toyota's rich sports coupe heritage dating back to the 2000GT, Celica, Supra, MR2 and most recently Scion FR-S. For more on the FT-1, visit http://www.toyota.com/concept-vehicles/