The Toyota FXS concept from 2001 was one of the first full vehicle ideas from the Nice, France-based Toyota ED2 studio. Short for Toyota European Design and Development, ED2 has since delivered a variety of cool and not-so-cool production cars — including the latest Yaris and the unloved Lexus SC430 of the mid-2000s.

This concept is important because it showed an innovative hybrid powertrain with an ultra-smooth underbody and sleekness in all its exterior shapes. A steep drop-nose style established thed FXS as a super sports car, as does the chopped windshield and cab-backward propotion. The rear taillamp in a single LED light bar was very ahead of its time, as is the very moody and chic cabin design.

All of these ideas eventually fed into what the Lexus LFA concepts and later the LF-A production car would become. Much of the hyper-soft surfacing of this car would be ditched for the LF-A after a less-than-excited reception to the SC430’s styling in the early 2000s.

2001 Toyota FXS Roadster