Lost in Translation: Supra Designer Reveals Production Discrepancy
The Evolution of the Toyota Supra and the Role of Calty Design
The fifth-generation Toyota Supra has made its mark on the automotive world, but with no direct replacement in sight, it's hard to believe that the car was with us for such a short time. As Caleb once pointed out, it feels like the Supra was here for only a brief moment before disappearing. To understand this transition better, we spoke with Alex Shen, Studio Chief Designer at Calty Design, Toyota’s California-based design studio. Calty is known for its innovative work, including the concept car that eventually became the MkV Supra. Through this conversation, Shen shared insights into how modern customer demands are shaping new design trends.
Exploratory Design and the Concept Process
Calty is heavily involved in exploratory design, which means many of their projects push the boundaries of what is feasible for production. These early studies often focus on stylistic elements rather than final products. “We’re an advanced design studio, so a lot of our work isn’t really intended for public consumption,” Shen explained. “Maybe those ideas aren’t quite hashed out yet or still in the works.”
Not every design from Calty ends up being produced, and when something does make it through the pipeline, it often prompts reflection. For example, the Toyota FT-1 eventually became the new Supra, and this journey highlights how design can evolve over time.
The Supra’s Journey from Concept to Reality
Each year, Calty designers choose a project to explore. The Supra, which wasn’t yet named as such, was one of these selections. The team decided the best way to pitch a new design was to give the brass an opportunity to actually experience it. At the time, sports cars were seen as money-losers, and it never occurred to Shen that this project would be approved. However, Toyota wasn’t struggling with traditional appeal issues, which made the decision less risky.
“The thing that kind of kept it a Supra was the spirit of what it’s supposed to do,” Shen said. “Version by version, it changed from like a Celica Supra to a pure sports car.”
This led the team to ask an obvious question: “What should it be next?”
The Birth of the FT-1
The result was the FT-1. However, given the challenges facing the sports car segment, looks alone wouldn’t be enough to secure approval. Calty needed a more sophisticated approach. “You’re supposed to drive these sports cars. It should be visceral,” Shen said. “It’s not enough just to put a car out there, right?”
At the time, Calty didn’t have an actual car to show; they only had a design. That’s where Polyphony Digital came in. “So we put it in the machine. We put it in Gran Turismo,” Shen explained.
After just a couple of laps in the digital FT-1, Akio-san was sold. Word came down immediately from Calty leadership that the team was cleared to build a show car—something automakers are less and less inclined to do these days. Even though nobody had come close to green-lighting production yet, the team moved forward.
Challenges and Constraints
The joint platform with BMW and all the complexities that would entail weren’t even on Calty’s radar. They had to reconcile their design with both the physical constraints of the shared hardware and the financial constraints of a program that—perhaps not in so many words—wasn’t expected to make any money.
Given all that, it’s a wonder they made the thing at all, right?
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