If a machine loses a noticeable amount of charm while going from concept car to production, something that happens more often than carmakers like to admit, enthusiasts are going to notice. And when that vehicle is not just a sports car, but features the iconic Supra name, fans will continue to talk about it even though the Mk V entered its fourth year of production this month. So, how about a widebody kit that revives the sleeker FT-1 look?
The FT-1 concept, which can be seen in the Youtube video below, came to the world a full five years ahead of the A90 generation Supra it previewed. And while the final design maintains many of the original’s features, the former looks a bit like somebody tried to fit the latter onto a smaller base while introducing some faux and add-on elements to fill in the gaps—much of this is believed to stem from the Supra using a common platform with the second-generation BMW Z4.
Not least thanks to the stellar aftermarket reputation of its predecessor (we can mostly thank the legendary 2JZ for that), the A90 Supra was born a tuner icon, with hoards of custom examples storming the 2019 SEMA show, the first major custom car event following the start of production. And the projects keep coming, with this racing V10-powered “Formula Supra” being an example as good as any.
However, this kit stands out, not just for attempting to bring back the FT-1 glory, but also for going to great lengths to achieve its goal.
The sports car becomes larger and lower
We mean that in a literal sense, as the front bumper adds 37.5mm, the rear bumper is 19mm longer, while the front overfenders are 55mm wider per side (total width 110mm) and the rear ones are 70mm wider per side (total width 140mm). Then there’s the front lip completing the F1 car nose look, which sits 38mm lower compared to the factory bumper.
As you can tell by looking at the images below, the transformation goes deep. This meant that, aside from the usual items listed above, the conversion also includes the side skirts, skirt blades, door side vent panels, full-fins rear diffuser, as well as a wide hood with a glass dome. And all of these are replacements rather than add-on bits.
In its standard, fiber-reinforced plastic form, the package costs $9,900. However, you can have the front lip ($400) and side skirt blade ($550), as well as the rear diffuser ($450) in dry glossy carbon fiber-better watch that ride height when you’re tackling the driveway exit!
There are also optional rear wings, a somewhat less extroverted ducktail version, and an all-out GT Wing, both available in the two materials mentioned above (prices for these range between $750 and $2,500).
As icing on this show-car-for-the-road cake, the futuristic door mirrors of the concept are also available for $550 or $900, depending on the chosen material.
The first unit has now been brought to life
The package is produced by Duke Dynamics—according to its website, the specialist was founded in 2006 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.
And while all we’ve had up to this point were renderings and 3D scans showing the factory Supra and the FT-1 kit overlayed, the developer has now released the first photos of a real-world build.
Sure, the black hue masks some of the visual details of the FT-1-ized Supra, but we can still get a pretty good idea of how this enthusiastic conversion looks out in the open.
